New manager appointed for Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club on outskirts of Edinburgh

Dalmahoy Hotel & Country Club has checked in a veteran of the hospitality industry as its new general manager.

Mr Thomson has worked at hotels including The Balmoral and Blythswood Square. Picture: Gerardo Jaconelli.

Murray Thomson has worked in the sector for some three decades, with roles at some of Scotland’s top hotels including The Balmoral in Edinburgh and most recently Blythswood Square in Glasgow. He replaces Alistair Kinchin who has retired after 18 years at the helm.

Dalmahoy, which notes that it is an independently-branded resort – said the move is a vote of confidence in the sector. The resort, which is set in 1,000 acres of countryside seven miles from Edinburgh city centre and was originally built in 1725, is currently closed to all guests with the exception of its golf members.

It will start to make preparations for reopening as soon as it gets the green light from the Scottish government.

Mr Thomson will be responsible for the daily operations and strategic direction of the 208-room, seven-suite resort offering including its fine dining venue, Pentland Restaurant, The Brasserie & James Braid Bar, afternoon tea lounge and Golf and Leisure Club.

He said his main priority will be steering the resort through Scotland’s road to reopening and continuing to ensure a safe environment for his team and guests.

Mr Thomson started out as a linen porter in Edinburgh in his teens and received a HIT Scotland Scholarship to Cornell University of Hotel Administration. He has spent his career working his way up through the ranks in operations, sales and marketing, and latterly management for hotels such as Glasgow’s Grand Central and Cameron House on the banks of Loch Lomond.

He said: “It’s an absolute privilege to be taking the helm of this flagship Scottish hotel at such a defining point in our collective history. We have a great team so the immediate focus will be on reopening our doors and welcoming guests back in the hopefully not-too-distant future.

“Although it’s an incredibly tough road ahead for our entire sector and for every brilliant individual that is part of hospitality in Scotland, the reason we exist is to help create joy and memories in people’s lives.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.