Dumfries House Lodge near Cumnock has been named “Luxurious Guest House of the Year” at the prestigious Scottish Hotel Awards.
The exclusive five-star country guest house, which sits on the edge of the 2000-acre Dumfries House estate, was officially opened by HRH The Prince of Wales in 2012. The Lodge features 22 luxurious en-suite rooms and two self-catering cottages, while guests can also relax in the lodge’s sitting rooms, dining room and private garden space.
The Lodge beat off stiff competition from popular guest houses across Scotland to triumph in the Luxurious Guest House of the Year category at The Scottish Hotel Awards, which are commonly referred to as “the Oscars for Scottish hotels”.
The awards have been running for 17 years and aim to recognise excellence in Scotland’s hospitality industry.
The winners were set to be announced at a glittering ceremony at Edinburgh’s Sheraton Grand Hotel but were moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic. Staff from Dumfries House tuned in from their homes to watch the virtual awards ceremony.
Colin Caird, Manager of Dumfries House Lodge, said:
“My team and I are delighted that Dumfries House Lodge has been named Luxurious Guest House of the Year. We take pride in offering all our guests a luxurious experience when they come to visit Dumfries House so it’s great for the Lodge to be recognised in this way.
“While the Lodge, Dumfries House and the estate gardens are currently closed to help restrict the spread of coronavirus, my colleagues and I are looking forward to the day when we can welcome guests back to experience and enjoy everything Dumfries House estate has to offer.”
Home to the largest known collection of furniture designer Thomas Chippendale’s early work, Dumfries House is both a popular tourist destination and the headquarters of The Prince’s Foundation. The chief objective of The Prince's Foundation is to create harmonious communities.
The charity aims to achieve this by developing and managing places to visit, running a diverse education curriculum for all ages with particular focus on traditional and heritage skills, and offering employment, most notably at its headquarters at Dumfries House in Ayrshire and in London. Its activity spans the world, with education programmes and placemaking initiatives in Europe, Africa, and Asia.
In East Ayrshire, The Prince’s Foundation is one of the top five largest employers with more than 200 staff.
The Lodge, Dumfries House and the wider estate and gardens are currently closed to help restrict the spread of coronavirus. For more information on Dumfries House Lodge, visit www.dumfries-house.org.uk/lodge