premium picks

PREMIUM PICKS
A selection of restaurants, hotels and venues in
SCOTLAND
RESTAURANTS
Our
Scotland
office
would like to share with you
some of their new and /or
current favourite places for
eating, meeting and sleeping
in Scotland.
This is a very small selection
of the many and varied places
available and we’re always on
the lookout for new offerings.
Whatever
your client is
looking for, whatever the
budget, please just ask!
For information:
+44 (0)20 8601 2424
[email protected]
www.premiumukdmc.com
January 2013
The Living Room
Edinburgh
Centrally located on Edinburgh’s fashionable George
Street you will find the Living Room. Tucked behind its
contemporary piano bar, the restaurant’s dark wood and
potted palms create a welcoming, informal ambience.
The large dining room, filled with diners easing into the
cream leather booths, oozes laid-back sophistication. The
menu is influenced by Asian, Italian, French and British
cooking, there’s a comprehensive wine and cocktail list
and a buzzing atmosphere. Capacity 100 (buy-out 160)
Howies
Edinburgh
Howies Restaurants have become something of an
Edinburgh institution. The two locations - one in the
Old Town and one at the East End of Princes Street are both housed in individual and interestingly
converted buildings with smart-but-minimalist
decor. Both offer comparable but distinct menus of
solid Scottish fare, which change monthly or
seasonally depending on the chef in charge. Prices
are reasonable and service is very good, even at
busy times, Howies Waterloo Place Capacity 105
Howies Victoria Street Capacity 40
We d g w o o d
Edinburgh
If you like your dining Scottish, but with international
influences and a decent wine list, then Wedgwood will
entertain. Paul Wedgwood’s creations are served in a
relaxed atmosphere, in the bright street-level room or
downstairs in a cosy basement, Scottish seasonal produce
such as shellfish, venison, beef, salmon, pheasant, lamb and
bream predominate on the menu. Service is attentive but
unobtrusive, the wine list impressive and the whole meal is
well thought out from start to finish. An oasis of tasteful
calm on Edinburgh’s Canongate. Capacity 30
Stac Polly
Edinburgh
Named for the magnificent mountain on Scotland’s
West Coast, Stac Polly Dublin Street has whitewashed
stonewalls and stone flagged floors which give this
basement restaurant a homely, rustic feel and
complement the Scottish cuisine. Dishes combine
ingredients you would not expect to mix, but the food
just melts on the tongue, with lots of interesting and
subtle flavours exploding on your palate. Capacity 50
The smaller, more casual Stac Polly St. Mary’s Street
in the Old Town is a warm and welcoming restaurant
for smaller groups. Capacity 20
City Merchant
Glasgow
Whiski Rooms
Located in the heart of the city on the Mound, Whiski
Rooms attracts a mixture of diners. Created in 2011 from a
former bank and bookshop, it comprises three sections - a
shop selling hundreds of whiskies, a lively bar and the
dining room, decorated in dark colours, with banquettes
along each wall. The menu speaks of a chef with skill, using
Scottish ingredients in an imaginative way – such as haggis
spring rolls, Borders pork cooked three ways, whisky
crème brulee. Capacity 30
Loch Fyne
City Merchants is a popular and long
established city centre restaurant which
opened 24 years ago. With the beautiful
decor as a backdrop the restaurant offers
many dishes with a Scottish flavour using
terrific local produce – particularly fish.
Capacity 40 pax (multiple areas available)
Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Loch Fyne, located on Edinburgh’s
Newhaven harbour is a light and airy
restaurant with wooden floors and furniture
and striking artwork depicting scenes from
Loch Fyne, offering patrons a great dining
experience. The focus is on fish and shellfish
with seasonality, quality and freshness being
the main focus here. Offerings such as hake
with samphire, smoked salmon ‘sashimistyle’ or ‘bradan rost’ are popular dishes.
(There are also some meat options
available). Service is lively and efficient and
prices are reasonable. There is also a great
wine list. Capacity 80
Ubiquitous Chip
Glasgow
Recently voted Good Food Guide readers’ restaurant of the year (2013) the Ubiquitous
Chip’s focus on local, seasonal produce has a been the ethos for 40 years and there is no
sign of change. Located in the city’s bohemian West End, the main dining area – an open
plan courtyard, with lush greenery entwined around pillars, a fish pond, cobbled flooring and
filled with art created by staff and patrons alike, all create a romantic and unusual setting.
Capacity 30 - 40 (multiple areas available)
Rogano
Glasgow
With its unique 1930's ambience, popular celebrity (Mick
Jagger, Kylie Minogue, Rod Stewart) haunt, Rogano is the oldest
surviving restaurant in Glasgow, famous for its seafood, and for
its art deco interior, modelled on the Glasgow-built liner Queen
Mary. Voted Scotland’s AA Restaurant of the year 2012, Rogano
is described as “a real institution in Glasgow” and has won
praise for serving “the finest fish and seafood from Scottish
waters”. Capacity 40 (multiple areas available)
Urban Bar & Brasserie
Glasgow
Located in the heart of the city by George Square and housed in a former
bank, Urban Bar and Brasserie is a relaxed, cosmopolitan restaurant
exuding elegance & style throughout. The spacious restaurant has
wooden floors, dark and comfortable seating and luxurious booths, all
draped with crisp white linen. Soft lighting and splashes of colour from
the large art works provide an inviting atmosphere for diners. The menu
is varied offering a range of accomplished dishes from the skilled
kitchen . Capacity 60 - 80
PREMIUM UK a division of SPECTRA
PAGE 2
VENUES
Stirling Castle
Stirlingshire
Royal Botanic Gardens
Edinburgh
Towering over the surrounding countryside, linked with Mary Queen of
Scots, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce, Stirling Castle is a great
symbol of Scottish Independence. The Castle provides the ideal setting
for a traditional Scottish event with pre-dinner drinks in the restored
Palace or Queen Anne Gardens (weather permitting) followed by a gala
dinner in the Great Hall – Scotland’s largest medieval banqueting hall.
The evening ends with a Pipe and Drum Band in full Highland regalia to
Beat Retreat. Capacity - 300 (Great Hall), 150 (Chapel Royal) - for
dinner. Programmes from Edinburgh and Gleneagles
Established in 1670, Edinburgh’s 70 acre Royal Botanic Gardens focus
on international research and conservation. Close to the city centre,
the gardens provide a variety of interesting spaces for dining,
including the Caledonian Hall, the David Douglas Room and the John
Hope Gateway, which has been designed according to the principals
of green construction and sustainability and is an excellent
demonstration site for promoting sustainability with features such
as a biomass boiler, rain water harvesting, a wind turbine, solar
collectors and panels. Various capacities 60 - 180 dining
House for an Art Lover
Glasgow
Designed in 1901 by celebrated local architect Charles Rennie
Mackintosh, House for an Art Lover wasn't actually built until the mid1990s. Mackintosh's designs and some of his crafts and drawings are on
permanent display, but the main exhibit is the house itself. Set in the
grounds of Bellahouston Park, the venue is home to the popular Art
Lovers Cafe and has 3 meeting rooms plus a rooftop terrace, providing a
truly unique event space just 10 minutes from Glasgow city centre.
Capacity 80 for dinner
Merchants’ Hall
Edinburgh
Scotland’s pre-eminent livery company, the 300 year old Merchant
Company, was created to protect Edinburgh’s trading rights. The 19th
century Merchants' Hall combines the best of Art and Architecture to
create a building of grace and distinction. The Hall, with its
magnificent domed ceiling, decorated with portraits and sculptures of
the Company's illustrious founders and benefactors provides an
excellent setting and combines the charm of a minstrels' gallery with
modern sound systems. Capacity 150 for dinner
PREMIUM UK a division of SPECTRA
Winton House
near Edinburgh
Winton House, half an hour from Edinburgh in the East Lothian
countryside, dates back to the 15th Century. Architecturally it is one
of the most important houses in Scotland, due largely to the work of
the King's Master Mason William Wallace who was responsible for
adding the famous carved twisted chimneys and beautiful plaster
ceilings at the start of the Scottish Renaissance. The family home of
Sir Francis and Lady Ogilvy, Winton House is the perfect setting for
gala dinners and activity days such as a Scottish Highland Games
Capacity 86 for dinner
PAGE 3
Scone Palace
Perth
Scone Palace near Perth and Gleneagles, the home of the Earls of Mansfield, was
the coronation place of Scottish kings until the crowning of the last king of Scotland, Charles II, in 1651. Regarded as a national treasure and revered as the historic jewel in the crown of Scotland, the palace provides a magnificent setting for
a very special event. Whether you plan an intimate dinner around Queen Victoria’s table in the State Dining Room, or a banquet in the Long Gallery, the Palace’s
unique heritage and stunning location ensures a glitteringly successful event.
Capacity 22 (State Dining Room), 100 (Long Gallery)
Pollock House
Glasgow
A grand country house near Glasgow city centre, Scotland’s answer to Downton
Abbey gives a real taste of upstairs/downstairs life in the 1930s. The lavish family
rooms are full of period furniture and furnishings, as well as the UK’s finest
collection of Spanish art, whilst the vast servants’ quarters show the realities of
running a country house. Set in the scenic surroundings of Pollock Country Park,
with beautifully manicured gardens and sweeping staircases, Pollock House offers
the perfect setting for private parties Capacity 60
Dundas Castle
near Edinburgh
Assembly Rooms
Edinburgh
The Auld Keep of
Dundas Castle, built in
1416, was one of a
series
of
towers
protecting the shores of
the Forth. In 1818,
James
Dundas
commissioned William
Burn, one of Scotland’s
greatest architects, to
design the magnificent
house that we see today
standing in front of the
original
keep.
An
extensive restoration programme by the current owners has restored this
magnificent home to its former glory. A permanent pavilion situated on the castle
lawns can accommodate large groups for dinner. Capacity – 60 (Dinner in the
castle) & 220 (Dinner in the pavilion)
Edinburgh University
With a wealth of historical buildings in its portfolio, Edinburgh University can offer
venues from the Assembly Hall in the centre of Edinburgh (below left) to the
magnificent Playfair Library in the Old College (below centre), to smaller unique
properties on its Pollock campus such as Salisbury Green and Abden House (below
right). Capacities from 30 – 220
PREMIUM UK a division of SPECTRA
Edinburgh’s beautiful A-listed Assembly Rooms
opened in 1787 as a place of entertainment for the
wealthy residents of Edinburgh’s New Town and
have hosted many famous Scots, visitors and royals.
Following an extensive refurbishment project,
completed in September 2012, the “Grand Old
Lady” of the Edinburgh function scene has been
restored to the simple and sumptuous décor of the
elegant Georgian period. The Music Room boasts
state-of-the-art facilities and the Ballroom, with its
elegant, original chandeliers provides the perfect
setting for Gala dinners. Capacity – 500 (Music
Room) 300 (Ballroom) for dinner
PAGE 4
HOTELS
The Caledonian,
Astoria Hotel 5*
a
Wa l d o r f
Edinburgh
The iconic Caledonian on Edinburgh’s Princes Street opened as an hotel
in 1903 and for many years played host to Hollywood stars such as
Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy and Elizabeth Taylor. Relaunched this
year following a £24m renovation, the 241-bedroom Caledonian
Waldorf Astoria hotel now has two new restaurants overseen by Chris
and Jeff Galvin, Peacock Alley for afternoon tea and cocktails and a
boutique Guerlain Spa. The eight meeting rooms include the Scottish
Heritage-listed Castle Suite, which is traditionally decorated with golden
eagles and Scottish wildlife frescos.
Radisson Blu 4*
Edinburgh
Located on Edinburgh’s medieval Royal Mile, halfway between
Edinburgh Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse and
sympathetically designed to blend perfectly with its ancient
neighbours, the Radisson Blu maintains the historic setting whilst
providing every modern convenience in 238 spacious en-suite
bedrooms. The hotel, which has a number of different sized meeting
and banqueting rooms plus a health spa with a pool, offers excellent
value for groups.
H i l t o n D u n ke l d H o u s e 4 *
Missoni Hotel 5*
Edinburgh
Located in the heart of the Old Town close to Edinburgh Castle, the
modern, chic Missoni Hotel lets you eat, breathe, but - above all sleep fashion. The 136 rooms and suites, many with commanding
city views, showcase Italian design with décor defined by Missoni’s
instantly recognisable fabrics. La Cucina, the hotel's restaurant, is
deliberately relaxed with hearty food designed to be shared by the
whole table. Guests can enjoy elegant cocktails, or Italian coffee in
the lobby Bar - perfect for early morning and late evening people
watching.
C a r b e r r y To w e r 4 *
near Edinburgh
Historic Carberry Tower offers all of the luxuries you would expect
from a traditional Scottish Castle Hotel, with great service. Rooms
throughout are full of period features, with ornate carvings and
original fireplaces. Situated in 35 acres of landscaped parkland, the
grounds offer scenic views and endless walks. The recently
refurbished 30 bedroom property has a new bar, library and brand
new bedroom suites, this is an affordable hidden gem just 15 minutes
from Edinburgh.
Dunkeld
Dunkeld House, the former summer residence of the Dukes of Atholl
is set in a 280-acre woodland estate on the banks of the River Tay,
close to the historic town of Dunkeld and just 90 minutes drive
Edinburgh and Glasgow. For outdoor lovers, Dunkeld Activity Park
offers outdoor activities including falconry, fishing, quad biking,
archery, and clay-pigeon shooting. The 4* hotel has 100 guest rooms,
the riverside Garden restaurant, 8 meeting rooms and a health club
and spa with heated indoor pool and offers excellent value .
PREMIUM UK a division of SPECTRA
PAGE 5
A p e x Wa t e r l o o P l a c e 4 *
Edinburgh
Built in 1819 in the heart of Edinburgh, after a 120 year absence,
the city’s first purpose-built large hotel reopened in 2009 as The
Apex Waterloo Place, with 187 bedrooms and suites, six fully
equipped meeting / banqueting suites, the largest of which can
accommodate up to 180 guests. The stylish lounge bar and
restaurant overlooking Waterloo Place combines contemporary
finishes with original features. The hotel‘s leisure club has a pool,
sauna, steam room and fully equipped gym
Radisson Blu 4*
Glasgow
Grand Central 4*
Glasgow
Glasgow’s Grand Central Hotel has undergone a £20 million
refurbishment, The splendour is enhanced by the mix of
contemporary 21st century design features within the
traditional restored lobby by a 23 metre chandelier. From the
stunning Grand Room with capacity for 500 to the eclectic mix
of 21 unique and flexible event rooms, from the beautiful
Champagne Bar with a menu that offers the best Scottish food,
to the 186 stylish and relaxing bedrooms - everything has been
beautifully renovated and lovingly restored to reveal a truly
magnificent hotel.
Standing out as an architectural benchmark, this new city centre
Glasgow hotel offers 250 comfortable rooms with free highspeed, wireless Internet and other desirable amenities. On-site
facilities include Collage restaurant, two bars and high-quality
meeting facilities. Guests can appreciate the convenience of the
hotel’s proximity to nearby attractions like the Glasgow School
of Art and the Princess Square shopping centre, the hotel
combines affordable luxury with Glaswegian hospitality.
Hilton Garden Inn 3*
Glasgow
Following £1 million refurbishment, the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel
on the banks of the River Clyde was voted ‘Business Hotel of the
Year 2012’ in the Scottish Hotel Awards, Just a short stroll to
Glasgow’s bohemian West End and close to the SECC, the hotel
has 164 comfortable modern bedrooms, four meeting rooms and
an award-winning City Café Bar and Grill which offers spectacular
views of the River Clyde, Bell's Bridge and The Clyde Arc - also
known as the "Squinty Bridge".
Thistle Caledonian 4*
Aberdeen
Recently refurbished, the Thistle Aberdeen Caledonian Hotel
overlooks Union Terrace Gardens in the centre of the Granite City
of Aberdeen, close to the city’s numerous parks and gardens,
museums, galleries and other attractions. The 83 Bedrooms are
stylishly decorated in warm calming colours complemented by
modern facilities. The hotel has a well-earned reputation for
warm Scottish hospitality and has a popular Terrace Restaurant
and bar. There are four fully-equipped meeting rooms at this
elegant Victorian 4* hotel