OLD CHURCHES HOUSE ANNOUNCES £45K REFURBISHMENT AS IT OPENS ITS DOORS AGAIN
- Quirky Hotel is now a second Central Belt restaurant location for Mason Belles Kitchen with a revamped food & drink offering too
With a £48k refurbishment carried out whilst in lockdown, Old Churches House in Dunblane is, in the words of its owners & operators, “Really Good To Go.”
The industry accreditation “We’re Good To Go”, an indication of consistent quality of offering and good customer service, is already widely used in the UK hotel sector. Old Churches House, now benefitting from a complete re-wire, together with new carpets, blinds, lighting, windows, bathrooms, furniture, and with the installation of Smart TV’s, believes it has gone the extra mile to be “good to go” for guests as hospitality re-opens.
With every mod com now in place, the quirky building across from Dunblane Cathedral, formerly Scottish Churches House, has lost none of its charm or character features. It’s still home to one of Scotland’s most recent Visitor Attractions, the Secret 13th Century Chapel, uncovered in 1961, which is to the rear of the Hotel.
Old Churches House will finish off its new internal look with a display of specially selected Scottish Artwork, soon to be unveiled. This will complement the existing photography and curios on display at Old Churches House which includes pictures of the House through the years, and a spinning wheel gifted by Pope John Paul II when he came to visit in 1982.
Food and drink has had a makeover, with Mason Belles Kitchen from Linlithgow opening up its second Scottish restaurant in the Hotel’s dining space.
“We are delighted to re-open,” said Alex McKie, Old Churches House owner. “We’ve used lockdown gainfully by carrying out this full refurbishment as we felt the building once again deserved it. It’s always a labour of love for us at Old Churches House as there is so much history in this building, but once again I think we have got the look and feel just right, blending the old with the new to create a modern and comfortable small Hotel.”
“Some of the work was carried out internally by our facilities management team, with trusted local tradesmen who have worked for us before in this building completing other tasks, added Alex.”
Although the new Mason Belles tie up officially launched last year, lockdown restrictions meant that the new offering was not able to be fully exploited. Now MKB chef/proprietor, Linsey Scott, and her team, are looking forward to showing off their culinary skills with a menu showcasing local produce.
“We’re delighted to be on board,” said Linsey. “Taking over at Old Churches House, in the fantastic location of Dunblane, has provided us with the opportunity to have a second restaurant. Hopefully now we can get a really good run over the summer season, introducing our food concept to both locals and diners from further afield.”
“There’s loads of scope here for my team and I to flex our culinary muscles, with Old Churches House successful small weddings and events trade,” added Linsey. “The Kirk is an inspiring space for intimate wedding receptions and private dining, with the Chapel able to host Christenings, Blessings and Funerals.”
Along with the Secret Chapel, Dunblane has a significant number of visitor attractions all situated within a couple of hundred yards of one another in the old Town Centre – the 12th Century Cathedral, Dunblane Museum, the Leighton Library, Scotland’s oldest private library, and Andy Murray’s Gold Postbox.
Further details www.oldchurcheshouse.com
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