The five-star destination that is Crossbasket Castle has just re-launched after an exciting upgrade
It’s another piece of the puzzle of the building’s restoration, which has taken 14 years thus far, and the SLH Hotels property now boasts an extension with 40 new bedrooms, as well as a new restaurant, Trocadero’s, with the venerable Michel Roux Jr overseeing the kitchen.
In autumn 2025, the East Kilbride property plans to open their eco-lodges and a new spa.
We spoke to its owner, Alison Reid-Timoney, about the ongoing project of transformation.
What was the brief for the new additions?
Our new hotel and restaurant have been meticulously designed to create a place of pure escapism. When guests walk through the door, we want them to leave their world behind and journey back in time to a place where indulgence, glamour and sophistication were truly celebrated.
The guiding principle throughout the design and build project was to marry the new development to the existing castle. While the new hotel has a different look and feel from the historic castle rooms, we have used traditional methods and materials to bring out bespoke details of our Art Deco design ensuring that it works in harmony with the rest of the estate.
Why was it time for a change?
Crossbasket Castle is a historic venue, dating back to as early as the Fifteenth Century. In 2011, a year after it was listed on Scotland’s Buildings At Risk Register, we purchased the castle and spent five years and over £10 million sensitively restoring it. As part of the project, we paid tribute to its past custodians including the 19th century Scottish chemist and inventor of waterproof fabric, Charles Macintosh.
In May 2016, Crossbasket Castle was launched as one of Scotland’s most luxurious, five-star hotel and events venues. The castle's sensitive restoration strikes a careful balance that honours its four-hundred-year-old history, while seamlessly integrating comforts of the modern age to create a calm and restorative setting. With just nine bedrooms in the main Castle, plus a two-bedroom Gate Lodge and three-bedroom East Lodge, there was a clear demand for more rooms and an opportunity for us to further elevate the 14-acre estate.
Our new development marks the next chapter in Crossbasket Castle’s nearly 400-year history, capturing the essence of romance, indulgence and pure escapism, as it sits proudly as a neighbour to the existing castle and brings something entirely unique to the luxury hotel market in Scotland.
Which were the most challenging aspects?
Our biggest challenge was to ensure that the new entertainment-led restaurant, Trocadero's, met the exact design brief in order to blend the captivating setting with the highly specified sound system. We have integrated top-end Funktion One performance speaker systems, in addition to the Cadac sound and lighting desk, to provide an unparalleled live entertainment experience in Scotland.
In the restaurant and hotel, we have used Art Deco inspired international style, popular in the Twenties and Thirties. The opulent fabrics selected enhance the sophisticated sleek aesthetic, while the rich earth tones of greens, oranges and browns captured in the bespoke soft furnishings complement the breathtaking natural surroundings, creating a true sense of escapism.
Inside Trocadero’s, guests will find mood lighting, candlelit tables and sumptuous plush seating, setting the stage for a romantic and intimate dining experience, reminiscent of the classic underground jazz clubs that inspired its concept.
Rich brass tones, dark timber panelling and velvet drapes evoke the glamour of an era when speakeasies were both mysterious and indulgent.
Which completed spaces are your favourites, and why do they work so well?
I personally love our internal courtyard restaurant, Foveran's. This space provides a tranquil oasis at the heart of our new hotel for breakfast and lunches. There’s a botanical environment surrounded by lush live palms and planting, where daylight fills the room, and the menu redefines laidback cuisine. By evening, Foveran’s turns into a stunning bar and dining space adjoining our entertainment-led restaurant, Trocadero's.
I chose the name Foveran's as a reference to the exact location and name of the land it was built upon, which is Gaelic for small spring.
Do you think regular visitors will be happy with the changes?
For regular guests at Crossbasket Castle, the existing offerings remain unchanged. Our nine historic castle bedrooms continue to offer a distinctive design that seamlessly blends the charm of the past with modern luxury. We will still offer our much-loved afternoon tea and there will be no changes to the spaces booked for weddings and events, with the exclusivity that couples look for remaining in place at the castle.
Our new development acts as an enhancement across the estate, providing guests with even more options for their stay. Now, in addition to everything we already had on offer, we have a supper club style experience that guests could expect to find in Vegas or London – a first for Scotland – and we’ve added more private dining space to the estate found in our Trocadero’s Terrace that creates space to host both in and outdoors.
Have you used any interesting Scottish textile designers/artists/makers in the property?
We worked closely with locally based construction and interior design teams who carefully curated pieces from across the UK and further afield to ensure the final design perfectly matched the brief.
What do you hope the reaction will be from guests?
We have set a high bar for excellence, and we are confident guests will be truly blown away by the glamour and elegance of this showstopping destination. Drawing inspiration from the nostalgia of a golden era, we aim to offer visitors to Crossbasket Castle a unique celebration of the past, seamlessly intertwined with the elegance of the present.
