Crieff Hydro has completed its £5 million dining refurbishment, marking one of the largest single investments in the history of Scotland’s oldest registered trading company.
The project introduces six new bar and restaurant venues, alongside refreshed menus for existing dining spots, heralding a new era for the hotel under the guidance of the sixth generation of the Leckie family.
The hotel is positioning itself as one of Scotland’s most exciting dining destinations, aiming to attract new and younger guests with its updated restaurant line-up, while maintaining its appeal to loyal family visitors.
New Venues and Concepts
- EAST: An Asian-inspired small plates restaurant.
- The Ballroom Bar: A relaxed, elegant, contemporary day-to-night bar, created in the former ballroom and featuring an oak-stained, glass and metalwork gantry.
- The Winter Garden: An airy, Victorian heritage space modernised for all-day dining.
- Loggia: A panoramic brunch and afternoon tea venue with sweeping views across Strathearn Valley.
- The Brasserie: Serving rustic bistro classics.
- The Hermitage: A new speakeasy-style cocktail bar, hidden behind a secret door in a bookcase wall—a completely new concept for the hotel.
Menus across all venues showcase the best of Scottish produce, with Crieff Hydro’s chefs working closely with long-standing local suppliers to bring regional ingredients to the forefront.
Design and Heritage
The vision for the project was set by Richard and Charlie Leckie, the sixth generation of the family, working alongside Fiona Leckie, Head of Interiors. The design, developed in collaboration with Denholm Partnership Architects and Glasgow-based 3 Design, brings a contemporary feel with modern twists on the hotel’s heritage. Each restaurant and bar is uniquely defined, ensuring intimate table settings and distinct character.
Elements from the hotel’s archives, such as historical documents, penny payment stamps, wax seals, and old share certificates, are incorporated throughout the new spaces. Ninety percent of the artwork is bespoke and sourced from Scottish artists.
Stephen Leckie, CEO Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels: “This is our single biggest project in decades and opens another significant chapter in Crieff Hydro’s 157-year history. For us, investment large and small is always about creating something better for our guests and for our team here.
“This is no exception, but the scale of the transformation I believe will really put us on the map for food and drink in Scotland. We’re incredibly excited to share these new spaces with our loyal guests and those discovering Crieff Hydro for the first time and we’re confident that the variety and style of the new venues will broaden our appeal and create even more memorable experiences for guests staying or dining with us.”
“It’s fitting that as we look to fulfil the needs of a new generation of Crieff Hydro customers, that this project has been driven by the next generation of my own family. We know that our guests are looking for unique experiences, not just any standard hotel restaurant and bar. As an independent business we have more freedom and flexibility to create something really unique.”
Charlie Leckie, Associate Director Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels said: “My brother Richard and I were very aware that refurbishing the restaurants and bars was a chance to bring them right up to date for our own generation. Like many of our guests, we enjoy the variety of interesting places to eat and drink around Scotland or further afield.
“So, we wanted to bring some of the best of that to Crieff Hydro. We really believe that a wide choice of food and drink is such an important part of a guest’s experience and shouldn’t just be ‘ok’ – it needs to be right up there with what people expect of their favourite West End eateries whether that’s in Edinburgh, Glasgow or even London. So, we’ve tried to take the best of all that but deliver it in a way that is uniquely Crieff Hydro and fits in with all the history and tradition we’re both so proud of.”
This significant investment is set to redefine the dining experience at Crieff Hydro, blending contemporary innovation with the hotel’s rich heritage to appeal to both new and returning guests.
