The vibe:
A Victorian riverside inn reborn as a food-obsessed boutique hotel, eight rooms above a bar that does “coffee, lunch, negroni” and a restaurant that does seven-course tasting menus. Velvet, deep greens, antiques and a cocktails, with the River Tay across the road and a farm and cook school up the hill.
Book The Grandtully Hotel
- Where: Grandtully, Strathtay, Perthshire – on the A827 halfway between Ballinluig and Aberfeldy, directly opposite the River Tay.
- What: An eight-bedroom, food-led boutique hotel with a 30-cover restaurant, The Tully bar, a private dining room and riverside terrace.
- Credentials: 4-star, Michelin Key (two years running), two AA Rosettes for the restaurant, listed in the Michelin Guide.
- Best for: Couples, food and drink lovers, walkers, anyone wanting a stylish base for the southern Highlands. The hotel is not dog-friendly.
- Cost: Doubles from about £160 per night, usually including breakfast, check Itison for autumn/winter deals.
Welcome to the Grantully Hotel
Built in 1866 on the old road along the Tay, The Grandtully Hotel (pronounced “Grantly”) is a Victorian inn reimagined as a brilliant boutique hotel by the folks behind the super-stylish Ballintaggart Farm just up the road.
Mid-century meets Scottish vintage style, a farm-to-table restaurant with two AA Rosettes, The Tully bar, a popular terrace and eight bedrooms above – and a Michelin Key to go with it. I’d been meaning to stay for years. Let’s check in.
The rooms at Grandtully Hotel
There are only eight rooms at The Grandtully. Expect rich colours, good linen and thoughtful touches – Laura Thomas toiletries, cafetière coffee with a flask of fresh milk, and freshly baked madeleines waiting on arrival. The look is mid-century meets Scotland: quirky and colourful without ever tipping into kitsch.
Room 1 is the flagship, painted deep blue with a claw-foot bath. Some rooms look across to the Tay, so ask if a river view matters to you – though be aware the rooms at the front are smaller and don’t have baths. Because the building is old and characterful, rooms vary in size and layout, and there are stairs throughout.
The Tully bar
Food and drink is at the heart of The Grandtully, and it runs all day.
In the morning the Tully Bar becomes a coffee shop and bakehouse: great Scottish coffee from Glen Lyno, home bakes, sourdough and pastries from the kitchen. At lunch there’s a relaxed brasserie-style menu, and in the evening small plates, sharing bites, bar snacks and a shorter à la carte for those who don’t want the tasting menu.
Before dinner, pull up a stool at the bar and order a cocktail. The negroni is the house signature (they bottle it to take home), alongside twists on the classics such as a spicy marg with mezcal and hot honey. There are also craft ales and the hotel’s own-label beer, and an extensive wine list with plenty by the glass – anything on it can be bought by the bottle in the shop to take home.
The Grandtully Hotel restaurant
The Grandtully restaurant serves a seven-course seasonal tasting menu from Thursday to Saturday, plus a seasonal set menu. Menus change frequently, sometimes daily, because they’re led by what the farm’s garden and the local suppliers have that week.
The style is modern Scottish with confident, clean flavours rather than fuss. We had both the tasting menu and ordered from the seasonal selection.
Highlights were a beef tartare with a soy-cured egg yolk; venison loin with king oyster mushroom and black garlic ketchup; and a whisky and raspberry ice-cream sandwich. We also loved the Tully’s chicken burger with hot honey! The Grandtully menu has something for everyone…
Breakfast at The Grandtully Hotel
Breakfast is included in most room rates and is worth getting up for. It’s served in a very leisurely tasting-menu style: house sourdough with Ballintaggart jams and marmalade, the hotel’s own Sunshine granola, cheese and charcuterie, fresh juices and good coffee, then a daily hot special. We had smoked trout and scrambled eggs with kale one morning, and Ayrshire bacon, fried egg and chimichurri the next. A breakfast to actually get up for.
Behind the scenes at Ballintaggart
Ballintaggart is a family-run hospitality group in Highland Perthshire, owned and run by brothers Chris and Andrew Rowley. The name comes from Ballintaggart Farm, an 11-acre site above the Tay valley near Balnaguard.
As well as the Grandtully Hotel there’s a cook school, a restaurant with rooms serving up seasonal feasts, a self-catering cottage, a sauna, a Pantry & Provisions shop and a Lifestyle & Liquor shop side by side in Aberfeldy’s square, and a Village Shop in Kenmore (the former post office).
Everything at Ballintaggart is built around Scottish seasonal ingredients and Scottish and UK provenance. It’s all made from scratch – from the farm’s kitchen garden, what can be foraged from the surrounding fields, woods and riverbanks, and what local artisan producers can supply.
They also have their own-brand range: crackers, jams and chutneys, Sunshine granola, pre-bottled cocktails (negroni, old fashioned), a house gin, and even their own coffee blend developed with Aberfeldy roasters Glen Lyon. Phew!
Things to do near the Grandtully Hotel
Make your stay at The Grandtully a full Ballintaggart weekend – check into the hotel for the tasting menu, head to the farm for a cookery masterclass or a seasonal feast the next day, book an hour in the sauna, and fit in a browse round the Aberfeldy shops in between.
On your doorstep:
- River Tay: The hotel sits directly opposite the river. Grandtully rapids are a well-known white-water spot; local operators run rafting, kayaking and paddleboarding trips.
- Iain Burnett Highland Chocolatier: Right next door, with a chocolate lounge and tasting experiences.
- St Mary’s Church: A tiny 16th-century kirk with a remarkable painted ceiling, a few minutes’ walk from the hotel.
- Rob Roy Way: Walk or cycle to Aberfeldy along the Rob Roy Way which follows the river.
Aberfeldy (10 minutes)
- The Birks of Aberfeldy: A circular woodland walk through a gorge with waterfalls, immortalised by Robert Burns. About 1.5–2 hours.
- Dewar’s Aberfeldy Distillery: Whisky tours and tastings on the edge of town.
- Castle Menzies: A restored 16th-century tower house with Jacobite connections.
- The Watermill: Bookshop, gallery and café in an old mill – a lovely browse.
- Ballintaggart’s shops: The Pantry & Provisions and Lifestyle & Liquor shops in the square.
Further afield (20–40 minutes)
- Kenmore and Loch Tay: Loch-side village at the head of Loch Tay; boat trips, watersports, walks and the Ballintaggart Village Shop.
- Fortingall Yew: Possibly the oldest tree in Europe, in a pretty conservation village.
- Pitlochry: Pitlochry Festival Theatre, the salmon ladder at the dam, Blair Athol and Edradour distilleries, and the Enchanted Forest light show in October.
- Killiecrankie: Dramatic wooded gorge with National Trust for Scotland walks and the Soldier’s Leap.
- Ben Lawers / Schiehallion: Two of the area’s classic Munros if you want a proper hill day.
Getting to The Grandtully Hotel
The Grandtully sits on the banks of the Tay, ten minutes from Aberfeldy and fifteen from Pitlochry, making it one of the best-placed hotels near Pitlochry and Aberfeldy for exploring Highland Perthshire.
Pitlochry is the nearest station, about 10 miles away, on the London–Inverness line and served by the Caledonian Sleeper. You’ll need a taxi for the final leg.
Flying in? Edinburgh and Glasgow are the practical choices; Inverness is roughly two hours north by road.
Should you visit The Grandtully Hotel?
A Victorian inn on the banks of the Tay, run by a family who’ve built a whole food-led world around it – farm, cook school, shops and all.
The care shows in everything, from the tasting menu to the breakfast you’ll want to come back for. If you like your hotels small, stylish and serious about what’s on the plate, The Grandtully is one of the best places to check in for a Perthshire weekend.
Kate – Love from Scotland x
Like this?
- My favourite restaurants in Scotland
- More restaurants with rooms in Scotland
- My favourite Scottish farm-to-table restaurants
- More cook schools in Scotland
Leave a Reply