The Dalhousie Castle hotel completes its £6 million renovation near Edinburgh: a bar, secret whiskies and a ballroom

Dalhousie Castle, a 35-room castle hotel 8 miles from Edinburgh, completed a £6 million renovation in July 2026, coming in £1 million over budget and seven months later than scheduled. A new bar, a secret whisky library and a restaurant inside the former ballroom: the Ramsay clan’s castle, which has operated as a hotel since 1972, is getting a makeover without closing its doors.

A longer and costlier project

In January 2025, the castle announced £5 million in works, a completion date of 19 December 2025, and an increase from 35 to 38 rooms. The programme was finally completed in July 2026 for £6 million, and the hotel still has 35 rooms. It only closed for six weeks in early 2025 before continuing to welcome guests throughout the works. The project, entrusted to ISA Architects, was managed by 7 Hospitality Management on behalf of a private investor.

A bar, whiskies and a ballroom

The renovation has primarily transformed the communal areas. The Alexander Bar pays tribute to Sir Alexander de Ramsay, who held out for six months against the siege of Henry IV of England in 1400. Behind a secret bookcase door, Chapters brings together a collection of single cask whiskies. The former ballroom now houses the Ramsay Restaurant, open to all for lunch and dinner, while the Dungeon, holder of two AA rosettes, serves an eight-course tasting menu for £120 in the vaulted cellars.

Eight centuries of the Ramsay clan

The Ramsays have held these lands since the 12th century; the current red sandstone castle took shape around 1450. Edward I of England spent a night here before the Battle of Falkirk in 1298, Cromwell used it as a base for his invasion of Scotland, and Queen Victoria came to take tea here in 1840. Having become a hotel in 1972, the estate also offers falconry displays. General manager Philip Egan sums up the ambition: to celebrate the place’s identity rather than change it.

Our perspective

At £400 a night, Dalhousie Castle now competes with the finest addresses around Edinburgh. The budget overspend shows the real cost of restoring an inhabited monument, but the hotel has gained a bar and a dining destination it was previously lacking. The whisky, cellars and falconry make it a unique stopover for a Scottish weekend break. Discover all our hotel news in the United Kingdom.