A taste of the good life at Achray House Hotel

The view from reception

St. Fillans is a picturesque village in Perthshire, a few miles west of Comrie. It sits at the edge of Loch Earn, as does this relaxed hotel, recognised for its wine tastings and fine dining. 

The AA awarded Achray House Hotel a 4* Gold Restaurant with Rooms in August 2024, and it retained 2AA Rosettes for another year.

When we arrive for an overnight stay, the weather is glorious, and the outside deck is brimming with folk who have just experienced a South African wine tasting. Claire, the GM, is on a journey to become a fully fledged sommelier and is rightly proud of her carefully curated wine list. Together with Laura Muirhead, Director, they aim to offer an eclectic list that focuses on female producers, where possible. It is intriguing to see wines from Georgia, Tenerife, Salento, England, Hungary and Japan! Please do not expect pedestrian choices, but go with a taste for discovery, and you will be delighted.

Achray House Hotel is a very sociable place. After we check in, we grab an OSH (Old Speckled Hen) and a glass of rosé and take our place on the sundeck for a bit. 

Then a wee rest, before heading to the dining room for the main event, the tasting menu and wine pairing. The menu is a snip at £75 and serves what chef David Racz feels is the best produce available daily. After a couple of wines, we chat with some other diners at neighbouring tables and all agree we love this concept. Let those who know best make the decisions! David is Hungarian and worked with Roux at Greywalls and Martin Wishart, so French technique underpins the produce used in his dishes. 

Pea Gazpacho - the taste of summer

We start with a vibrant creamy pea gazpacho that Claire pairs with New Hall Wine Estate, Bacchus Single Estate 2023, Essex. The dish and the wine transport me to an English garden where my senses are filled with the fresh, floral, and zingy.

Roasted Orkney scallop with a gentle curry sauce is complemented by Artisans Partisans, Chateau Rives-Blanques Blanquette Limoux Brut Nature 2022, Limoux, France; a sparkler full of toasty brioche. 

Then comes fillet of Mackerel in a tomato broth, which is paired with Benanti Etna Rosato from Sicily; it is tricky to find a vinous match for tomatoes, but this wine works well where red fruits are balanced by acidity and minerality. Rosés are always good with fish.

Lamb navarin with cavalo nero and homemade merguez is rich and delicious. I have asked for small tasters of wine, but Claire serves me a full glass of the Rugra Nivo, a 2016 Dolcetto from Monferrato, Italy, anticipating that I will want more, and she is correct.

We are asked if we would like a cheese course with port before dessert, and everyone says yes. This is a cheese crowd. Interestingly, everyone gets different cheeses. I like the way they do these little unconventional things at Achray House and the variety of encourages more neighbourly chat. 

By the time we are served green tea ice cream with dark chocolate crisps, teeny cubs of fudge, we are all swapping stories of mis-spent youth. It’s a laugh! 

My bed is like a giant marshmallow, and I sleep well. Breakfast is Full Scottish and Eggs Benedict Royal with fresh, homemade mayonnaise. Bravo! 

Many of the couples we meet are from the central belt and are taking advantage of the memberships scheme that Achray House Hotel operates. Take out a membership for £195, and you only pay for dinner and drinks when you book your stay in advance. 

A fellow diner talks of the Autumn colours and how in winter all is white and folk break the ice to swim in the loch. 

Ice breaking extends to the hospitality of this boutique hotel, where Laura, Claire and David make you feel right at home.