Hard to Knock perfection
A Victorian country house weekend is brought bang up to date, discovers Martyn Mclaughlin
When John Honeyman first committed his vision of Knock Castle to paper, not even he could have imagined the wondrous views that would captivate its visitors nearly a century and a half later.
A celebrated architect who would later take a young Charles Rennie Mackintosh under his wing, Honeyman was renowned for his grandiose country houses and imposing churches, elements from which he put to good use when designing the castle for William Miller, a Glaswegian merchant who decamped to rural Perthshire.
During his day, however, the idea of building a dining area amongst the parapets was unheard of, with fare such as ribboned melon, gin and tonic sorbets, and caper beurre noisette mere fantasy compared to a Victorian diet rich in dough, onions, and turnips. Thankfully, some things change for the better.
The Knock Castle of today has been lovingly restored and upgraded by its current owners, the Henderson family. Once a private residence and a nursing home, the Crieff bolthole’s latest iteration as a luxury countryside retreat would surely have won Honeyman’s approval.
Tucked away amongst three-and-ahalf acres of verdant hillside grounds, Knock Castle’s location alone feels like a guarantee of a restorative getaway. Ascend its elegant staircase and meander through its mahogany foyer to the rooms and you soon realise the promise of tranquillity and understated luxury is one that is kept.
On arriving at our deluxe rooms, the Lady Macbrayne and Gleneagles suites, we were met with an aromatic bouquet, a bottle of prosecco on ice, and a plate of moreish handmade chocolates.
From the cornicing up high to the carpets below, the decor of the suites favours old school class and refinement, opulent and relaxing, without being too showy or try-hard.
Two sides of the Gleneagles suite are framed by sweeping views, with a comfortable bay seating area (the perfect place, incidentally, to sample the prosecco). The Lady Macbrayne, meanwhile, has at its heart a grand old four poster bed. Our eldest, accustomed to an Ikea bedstead, quickly claimed it as her own.
After an hour or two relaxing – a few lengths in the hotel’s heated pool and a decadent soak in the Lady Macbrayne’s spa bath – we ventured up for an early dinner service in Knock Castle’s crowning
glory – the Rooftop Restaurant. Short of ascending the peak of Stuc a’chroin, there is no better view of the Strathearn valley, and few better places to enjoy outstanding Scottish cuisine. The head chef, Jason Henderson, takes pride in working his magic with locally sourced ingredients. He and his team have built up an enviable reputation, recently winning a prize at the Scottish Food Awards. We soon discovered why as the staff, brimming with knowledge and enthusiasm, helped us navigate the menu. Perhaps tempting fate, given the fact we had our four-month-old and three-yearold with us, I plumped for the sevencourse degustation menu, priced at a very reasonable £69.95 a head.
Looking out over rolling hills basking in the evening sun, the first course, smoked pigeon breast from a nearby estate, provided an apt taste of the woodlands, its subtle smoky flavour accompanied by lovely brittle sweet potato crisps and a puy lentil ragout. A pleasingly sharp sorbet was followed by a beautifully presented plate of home-cured Scottish salmon, pea shoots, and pickled cauliflower, with added zing provided by a slither of lemon gel that burst with flavour.
However, even those were outshone by the main, a succulent fillet steak served with delicate, wispy garlic and rosemary scented fondant potato, pickled wild mushrooms, and smoked cauliflower purée.
My wife relished her west coast hand dived scallops on a creamy white chocolate and herb risotto, and the tender Scottish beef, served with a grilled tomato, wild mushrooms, chunky chips, and a red wine jus. Proof, she said, that great dishes are sometimes the most simple.
If the food impressed, what followed outshone our expectations. After the kids started to get a little tired and restless, we were able to retreat to our suites, before dessert and coffee was brought to our door with a smile.
It was a small but telling example of the excellent, attentive staff who work under Malcolm Copland, the front-ofhouse manager, and seemed to sum up our stay at Knock Castle perfectly: a sumptuous blend of the old and new, with timeless service to boot. ■
Knock Castle of today has been lovingly restored and upgraded
Standard double rooms at Knock Castle, 40 Drummond Terrace, Crieff PH4 4AN. (Tel: 01764 650 088, www. knockcastle.com) start from £179 for B&B on a weekend.