Roman Camp Country House Hotel

Roman camp has been on my bucket list for at least 30 years, ever since hearing it had been voted one of the most romantic hotels in Scotland, so I was very excited when we took the opportunity to break a journey to the north of Scotland and have an overnight stay there. And by way of explanation for the rating of this review….. one of the key things I ask myself when I write a Tripadvisor review is whether or not I felt we received value for money - sadly a resounding no for Roman camp - even taking into consideration the discounted room upgrade. There were a couple of aspects of the hotel that were wonderful, namely the staff and the location. However, when you set your prices at the high end there comes an expectation that the customer experience will match if not exceed that cost. We were lucky to be upgraded, had we not our bill for dinner bed and breakfast would have been well over £600. As it was it was £500 and still I feel that was excessive. The public rooms are cosy and inviting. It feels like you are in somebody’s home although the amount of artificial flowers isn’t really to my taste. We were in a bedroom that on first appearances looked lovely but actually living in the room you notice things like thread bare fabrics, windows that don’t stay open or can’t open, chipped crockery and water glasses, very poor lighting, a rubber bath plug on a chain that didn’t hold the water, black mould in the shower and missing grout between tiles. We were on a set D, B&B rate but noted when looking at the menu that dinner for three courses with £75 a head. When we booked we were asked if we wanted to dine in the restaurant or the bistro and opted for the restaurant, had we realised we would be the only people in the restaurant We would perhaps have chosen differently.. Very disappointingly, the menu consisted of only two choices for starter, two for main and three for dessert. The wine list was equally economical in terms of options and I would suggest somebody goes over it with a fine tooth comb, not just for spelling mistakes but also accuracy. The lighting in the restaurant was so poor that we had to turn our phone torches on to see what we were eating. I’m all for a bit of atmosphere but that was just a bit too dark. That said, I cannot fault the quality of the cooking. The food was absolutely delicious, albeit quite small portions. They say “never meet your heroes”, and I’m sorry to say that this was the hotel equivalent of that experience. Sadly, it’s very unlikely we would go back.

Great food as always in the restaurant but not so attentive service on this occasion despite only a few customers eating. Stayed overnight so that we could both enjoy a drink with our dinner, our room was comfortable with nice breakfast served at table

We stayed one night at the Roman Camp Hotel after looking for a place that was on our way back to Edinburgh from the Isle of Skye. We had a lovely stay and wished we'd spent an extra day to be able to explore the gardens and local area more fully. The hotel is fascinating for its decor and history. Our room was at the top of circular stairway that was rather treacherous, but the staff were very helpful in carrying our bags up and down. The room was cozy with a comfortable bed and stall shower as well as tub in the bathroom. We loved the atmosphere and decor in the bar area, the drawing room, and the library. The "secret room" at the back of the library was an interesting find. We had signed up for the 3 course dinner and had canapes and drinks in the library beforehand. The food at dinner was excellent, well-presented, with attentive and friendly service. The roaring fire in the dining area was a special touch. The food at breakfast was similarly excellent. Overall, we had a lovely stay and we very much appreciated the historical nature of the hotel.