Pitlochry hotel takes Tripadvisor top spot

Anniversary marked with several industry awards

The owners of Birchwood Hotel in Pitlochry are celebrating a number one spot on Tripadvisor and a trio of AA awards as they mark year one in business.

Dean Bucknell and Paul Tillbrook bought the 8-bedroom Baronial Gothic building for around £950 000 last Autumn following its previous incarnation as the UK’s first vegan hotel and restaurant (Saorsa 1975).

However, the duo have placed their own stamp on the property - set in 2 acres of private grounds - as their awards haul and customer ratings testify.

Contemporary

Toasting year one of trading, Birchwood Pitlochry has risen to number one hotel in Pitlochry on Tripadvisor’s guest ratings while the reworked bedrooms have landed the property an AA 5 Star Silver Guest Accommodation Award.

Each room has been refashioned in the past twelve months with colours schemes and character reflecting the local Perthshire landscape.

The owners’ approach has been to add contemporary touches and styles whilst maintaining the original character of the listed Victorian building on East Moulin Road.

Attention to detail in food and drink and emphasis on local produce, in season, has also seen Bichwood land AA Breakfast and AA Dinner Awards.

“It has been an incredibly busy twelve months,” said the owners.

“We have redecorated every bedroom, developed our food and drink offering and made countless changes throughout the property.

“To achieve AA 5 Star Silver Status in our first year was a very proud moment for us.”

They added: “Receiving the AA Breakfast and Dinner Awards made the recognition even more memorable, as food and hospitality are such an important part of what we want Birchwood Pitlochry to be.

“To then reach number one for hotels in Pitlochry on Tripadvisor has been equally special because that recognition comes from our guests.

“We could not have achieved any of this without the people around us. We are enormously grateful to our guests, our housekeeper, local suppliers, fellow trade businesses and the wider Pitlochry community for the support and encouragement they have given us.”