Travel: Macdonald Inchyra Hotel & Spa, Stirling

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a small commission on items purchased through this article, but that does not affect our editorial judgement.

INCHYRA Grange is a traditional Scottish manor house that has been fairly sympathetically extended over the years. The hotel, already renowned as a wedding venue, has just undergone a multimillion pound refurbishment, with a new restaurant, gym and state of the art spa.

BUDGET OR BOUTIQUE?

Inchyra falls between the two – and not in a bad way. The luxury of the spa is offset by the great value rooms, which are extremely comfortable.

WINING AND DINING

As part of the hotel refurbishment, the restaurant has been rebranded as The Scottish Steak Club. It offers a fairly informal dining experience, but that doesn’t mean that they’ve skimped on the quality. With a commitment to using as much local produce as possible, they detail exactly where their meat and fish come from on the menu. The Josper Charcoal Broiler gives their steak and burger options a particularly mouth-watering flavour. Don’t worry that the focus is all meat – despite the name, the restaurant features vegetarian dishes including baked pumpkin ravioli and pear and Dunsyre blue cheese salad. They also have a Super Six offer – six main courses on offer for £6 each – if ordered before 6pm.

ROOM SERVICE

The rooms have comfortable beds and well-appointed bathrooms. Wi-fi is available in all the rooms for an extra charge. Executive rooms are perfectly suited for a family weekend break – easily accommodating two adults and two children.

WORTH GETTING OUT OF BED FOR

Macdonald Hotels have spent millions on the revamped pool, gym and spa and it shows. There is a rock sauna and ice fountain. There are massage showers and mud therapy rooms. Heated loungers let you lie and watch your those energetic souls in your party as they do their laps in the 20 metre pool. Well, I suppose some people feel the need to work off their sirloin steak from the night before. And that’s before you even think about heading for a treatment in the spa itself. It is popular, so even though there are eight treatment rooms, booking is recommended. But, given that spa reception is only a few yards from hotel reception, they’re not making it difficult for you to pin down that body wrap or spray tan.

LITTLE EXTRAS

Inchyra Grange is 30 minutes’ drive from Edinburgh and Glasgow and ten minutes from Stirling. That gives you as much culture, shopping and sport as you could wish for. There are also stunning walks to be had in the nearby Ochils and mountain bike trails in the Carron Valley.

GUESTBOOK COMMENTS

The hotel is known as a superb wedding and occasion venue and you can see why as the staff operate like a well-oiled machine.

Rooms start from £225 per night and Spa Breaks run from Thursday to Sunday.

Macdonald Inchyra Hotel & Spa, Grange Road, Falkirk FK2 0YB (0844 879 9044, www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk)