Scotland being the beautiful country it is, has many little pockets of stunning scenery with rolling hills and The Scottish Borders is no different. Not an area I’m overly familiar with, but have always enjoyed being in this region of the country.
I’d heard many good things about Schloss Roxburghe. An exceptional countryside retreat featuring a beautiful championship golf course, stunning spa with outdoor heated infinity pool and a range of outdoor activities. The luxurious property features a choice of restaurants, with a focus on locally sourced and estate grown produce. In addition to the beautiful rooms and suites, a choice of self catering cottages combine the elegance and adventure of the resort with space for the whole family.
I first set foot on the place as recent as 2021 when the venue agreed to host The Golfbreaks Get Back to Golf Tour. A tour I set up on the back of Covid, to give our professionals and top amateurs a platform to help give them competitive opportunities as their schedules had been pretty much decimated due to the pandemic. I played in that event myself and boy I was not to be disappointed!! I absolutely loved the golf course and at just over 7,100 yards from the blue tees, it really is every bit a “championship golf course”. As well as hosting the Golfbreaks Get Back to Golf Tour, the Paul Lawrie Tartan Pro Tour is a regular on their schedule now, as is The Stephen Gallacher Junior Foundation.
The course is designed by the internationally renowned golf course architect Dave Thomas. Although an inland course, the ground conditions are superb and is very free draining. Thomas has created a wonderful mix of holes using the natural contours of the landscape, the mature woodland edge and the scenic views. It’s voted in the “Top 10 Best Inland Courses in Scotland”, but for me personally possibly in the top 4 or 5.
When I was there in ’21 I was excited to learn the on site hotel was going through massive changes and huge investment was going towards refurbishing the bedrooms, building a whole new wing with brand new rooms as well as 51 new stand alone self catering cottages. I was therefore delighted to accept the hotel’s offer to go on a Golfbreaks familiarisation trip to experience the course again and to stay over, as all the fantastic changes were now in place. My girlfriend Elaine and I left Edinburgh looking forward to having the Roxburghe experience from the eyes of the customer. The journey from Edinburgh is an easy one at just over an hour which skirts by the beautiful Pentland Hills before driving through lovely little towns such as Lauder and Kelso, the latter only a short 5-6 mins journey from The Roxburghe. Glasgow is a little longer at around 2 hours. On the other side of the border and in to England, you have Newcastle at just 45 mins, Carlisle at just over 1 hour and Manchester further south and an approximate 3 hours drive. So the Roxburghe is ideally located and easily accessible.
We arrived for our 1230 tee time with an hour to spare and enjoyed a hearty bowl of soup in the golf clubhouse, which is just a 100 yard walk from the main entrance of the hotel. After soup we wondered around to the range to hit a few warm up shots. It’s a lovely little walk to the range and takes you past some of the new fab self catering cottages. The facility is excellent with all bays having a Toptracer unit in them, and plans are to build more bays in 2024/25.
Despite it being early October the ground conditions were relatively dry, so we decided to take a buggy in order to see as much of the course and surrounding property as possible. The buggies are all very well kept and spotless clean ( not always the case at golf venues )! The course for the time of the year was in excellent condition and was presented superbly. You get another look at the cottages on your left as you play the 1st hole. Fortunately they are not really in play for the errant golfer, unless it’s a very badly hooked shot. Over 80% of the world’s golfers hit the ball left to right ( for a right handed golfer ), so the buildings should be safe enough ( most of the time )!
There’s 4 sets of tees to choose from. Elaine is a Scottish Teaching Golf Pro based in Germany and she enjoyed playing with a mix of tees between yellows and reds. The River Teviot is visible on a few of the holes and none more so at the Roxburghe’s signature par 5 14th hole. Aptly named “The Viaduct”, and commands a wonderful position from the elevated tee with the green framed by the famous Roxburgh Viaduct. It was probably my best drive of the day, but at 571 yards it was still way out this old pro’s reach in 2 shots! A nice wedge approach shot for my 3rd set me up for a birdie chance, which alas couldn’t convert. Happy enough though with a par on this challenging hole! We had a great time on the course albeit a wee winter chill for the last few holes, and it was time to unpack the car and check in.
The original part of the building is steeped in history. Grand open fireplaces grace the historic rooms of the manor house. Decorative stucco on the ceilings and walls provide the rooms with unique character and highlight the history of the time honoured building. Scottish tartans, colours and patterns combine with oak, natural stone and beautiful textiles to compliment timeless elegance with contemporary design.
The historic main building houses 20 rooms and suites, each with their own character. The rooms represent modern comfort in a historical setting. Several rooms are also located in the neighbouring courtyard, a fairytale-like part of the building attached to the main house. Check in was seamless with 2 smiley, friendly and efficient young girls who made us most welcome. Our beautiful room was in the new wing of the hotel with great views across the gardens and the outdoor infinity edge swimming pool which features an automatic sliding door that beckons you in as you enter. The water is heated to approximately 29-30 degrees centigrade and illuminated by colour changing LED’S. Despite being a historical property, the Roxburghe boasts all the mod cons that has come to be expected in the modern world!
After check in and a wee rest in the afternoon, it was time to experience the aforementioned pool and spa. I have seen some fantastic leisure facilities over the years and the Roxburghe leisure experience is up there with the very best. Absolutely stunning. The indoor area is world class and very spacious with all types of beds and seats for you to relax on, and for the more energetic a fitness suite next door. As well as the outdoor pool there are 2 saunas and a plunge pool. Complimentary herbal teas, water and fruit are also all available. I’ve never really been one for the water, but loved having a wee swim ( or maybe it was more of a paddle )!
After relaxing for the afternoon we took a stroll before dinner through the 51 self catering cottages. Of which 40 are two bedroom properties, and the other 11 being one bedroom. It’s almost like a small village with it’s own shop which is known as the “Estate Market”. It’s the ideal retail experience for guests looking to purchase fresh produce and essentials when residing in the cottages. Products are estate grown where possible, or locally sourced from a selection of small batch producers located in the Borders. In addition to the essentials guests are able to purchase freshly brewed coffee and baked goods, or sample the finest locally made wool and cashmere products.
Kio House of Kids is the Roxburghe's latest addition. It features three indoor spaces each with its own unique focus as well as an outdoor play area and an adjacent forest for nature exploration and discovery. So if you want a quick 9 holes on the course or to properly relax at the spa, drop the wee ones off at the kids club. It’s the ideal place for children to create learn and play. It’s not just the kids that get all the fun however. There’s other activities as well as golf and leisure, which includes shooting and a trout fishery. And for anyone fancying a day or an evening at the races the nearby and very picturesque Kelso Race course has regular meetings throughout the year.
There are two main restaurants in the hotel, Charlie’s and Sunlaws. Charlie’s offers “Scottish Bistronomy”. In stunning contemporary surroundings, the restaurant overlooks out into the gardens. Sunlaws is more of a fine dining experience who also offer A La Carte and 5 course tasting menu. The food offerings at The Roxburghe are all locally sourced products. There’s also a fabulous whiskey and gin bar named Bar 1745. The Scottish icon Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed at historical Roxburghe Estate in the year 1745 when he also planted a white rose bush in the gardens upon departure, hence the name. We decided on Charlie’s which was fantastic. We had a shared starter of octopus, followed by 2 mains of veal and sea bream. All courses were superb and the freshness of the meals was easily identifiable. Only slight negative was a bit of a lengthy wait between the starter and the mains. However the restaurant was particularly busy and there had also been a large wedding with guests from the USA staying over the weekend. However it was great to see a bustling hotel on a Sunday evening, as a Sunday is predominantly a quiet night in the hospitality industry. The slight wait didn’t bother Elaine and I at all. We weren’t going anywhere and just enjoyed the ambience of our surroundings and ordered another bottle of excellent white wine.
After a final nightcap we retired for a lovely nights sleep in the most comfortable of beds. Next morning we decided for one more visit to The Roxburghe’s infinity pool and spa which was very invigorating and a nice way to spend the morning before breakfast. The hot and cold buffet breakfast was fantastic with an array of fresh hot breakfast items and the eggs cooked to order as well as a choice of breads with an abundance of cheeses, cold meats and other condiments. In addition cereals, yogurts, fruits and juices completed a breakfast offering to meet everyone’s requirements and give everyone a great start to the day.
On checkout Elaine got chatting with an absolute gentleman called George who is a lobby host in and around the hotel, guiding people to their room and other areas in the complex. George’s passion for both the history and the heritage of The Roxburghe and the surrounding local area is both hugely informative and engaging. He took the time to answer all Elaine’s questions and referred to Bonnie Prince Charlie and Mary Queen of Scots who both had a fondness and love for The Roxburghe. George brought the stories to life which also included the Duke of Roxburghe and their family ties with the place over the last few hundred years. When you visit The Roxburgh make a point to track down George!
We truly had a wonderful stay in the Scottish Borders and the venue oozes total luxury. The hotel and golf course is ideal for visiting groups of golfers but will also massively appeal to couples and families. I can also imagine it being a wonderful winterland! I can’t recommend the estate highly enough and already looking forward to my next stay at the beautiful Roxburghe.
For a visit to The Roxburghe or any other Golfbreaks package, please don't hesitate to contact me and I'll be delighted to help look after you ATait@golfbreaks.com
Preferred golf clothing brands:
Glenmuir - www.glenmuir.com Sunderland of Scotland -www.glenmuir.com/Sunderland
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