The day-to-day chores, the responsibilities – jobs, kids, a home. Oh, what would you do to get away from it all? Head 20 minutes outside Glasgow, that’s what.
By Tracy Mukherjee
I love my holidays. Twice a year we jet off into the big blue yonder and recharge. But my, do I come back to earth with a bang on my return. Well, it’s a while till we get that chance again, isn’t it?
Peppering your year with little nights away is definitely the answer. It’s not easy though if you have kids to get away away. Heading up North, down South? That’s a two-nighter. So how do you maximise your me time, when that time is limited?
Head to Crossbasket Castle in South Lanarkshire, that’s how.
Pure Escapism
Westender Magazine was delighted to visit the castle and its new extended hotel recently and the team weren’t lying when they said indulge in pure escapism.
From the moment we arrived at the sumptuous five-star destination, we knew we were in for something a little bit special. The new hotel is contemporary, yet it hints at a bygone era. With art deco influencing the sleek lines, symmetry and lighting choices, the surroundings are a stylish fusion of old and new.
Our deluxe double bedroom echoes that style. And with a private balcony overlooking the woodland beyond, you’d be forgiven for thinking you were in Balmoral, rather than Blantyre.
With luxury catered for in every corner, from Egyptian cotton sheets to Penhaligon toiletries, who wants to leave the room?
Dine in a By-Gone Age
Well at Crossbasket, you absolutely do. With two beautiful restaurants in the new hotel, plus sumptuous afternoon tea in the castle dining room, when we talk about spoiled for choice, here we really mean it.
Our dinner this evening is in the immersive Trocadero’s restaurant. With a menu over-seen by award-winning Michelin Chef Michel Roux, the menu is indulgent. Oysters, rib-eye, to-die-for-tiramisu; it’s as good as it sounds. But that’s not all; this dinner comes with a side of theatre. Think 1920s ambience with an eight-piece band serenading you throughout the evening. Plus, why not add some elegant dancers mingling with the audience, feathered-fans flapping?
This is so much more than a fine-dining experience. A delicious menu, steak cooked to perfection? Check. An extensive, inventive cocktail menu? Absolutely. But with the theatre, the gorgeous surroundings and a hotel that defines luxury? As we drift off to blissful sleep, our expectations have been more than met.
The next morning, breakfast is served in the hotel’s main restaurant, Foveran’s. A wrought-iron palm shades our breakfast buffet. And cooked to order items… what to choose? It’s clear that this restaurant doesn’t play second fiddle to its vibrant neighbour Trocadero’s. For Foveran’s is also in the safe hands of Michel Roux. With two market menu’s available – one for lunch and one for dinner – Sunday to Wednesday, it’s making sense just why this restaurant was brimming with diners when we arrived the day prior.
New Summer Menus
And that’s before the new spring/summer market menu’s have launched at Foveran’s. With a heady aroma of Scottish fare, diners at Foveran’s are in for a real celebration of Scotland at its best. With Shetland mackerel, Mull of Kintyre cheddar and Perthshire asparagus, we’ve already crossed the length and breadth of the country, and we haven’t left the starters.
For mains, dine on Speyside steak, smoked haddock from Peterhead, and with chicken from St Bride’s Farm down the road in Strathaven, it’s clear Crossbasket has a real commitment to supporting local producers.
We can but marvel at the choice of desserts including Scottish artisan cheeses and the retro-delight of a baked Alaska, with a French accent of course, Bombe Alaska.
The Market Lunch Menu is but a condensed version of the Market Dinner Menu, a smaller selection maybe, but with attention to detail and quality still evident in abundance.
Having dined in Trocadero’s, I simply can’t wait to indulge in a little Foveran’s fare.
And so, it’s time to leave. As we wander through the beautifully manicured gardens on departure, I’m already thinking forward to our next overnight here at Crossbasket Castle.
We’ve travelled back to an era of sophistication, decadence and true indulgence. Yet we’re only 20 minutes from Glasgow.
