Cairndale Hotel & Spa

My mum and I stayed here from January 23rd – 26th, 2026, for a much-needed girls' getaway. As Scotland’s first and only independent spa to achieve the prestigious Five Bubble Luxury rating, my expectations were high. As someone who visits a lot of spas and values wellness rituals, I can say this was an exceptional experience! Lovely Bubbly Parts Incredible Service & Staff: The staff were the absolute highlight of our trip. Unlike most spas that just give you a towel and point to the door, we were given a detailed, personal tour. It was so helpful to know the benefits of each room and how warm they get—perfect for first-timers or anyone wanting to maximize their visit. The New OAK Restaurant: On Saturday evening, we tried the brand-new OAK restaurant. It’s beautifully themed with plants, wood accents, and a warm log burner that creates a cosy, homely feel. The food was delicious, the prices were reasonable, and the staff were once again incredibly helpful with recommendations. Special Afternoon Tea: We had our tea in the spa café in a quiet, calm setting—all while wearing our robes! They have amazing tea menus where you can actually open and smell the leaves before choosing. We upgraded to the Champagne Afternoon Tea for £46 per person, which was a lovely treat. A Personal Touch: We even met the Director, Matthew, as we were leaving the spa. He was so friendly and down-to-earth; when he asked how our stay was, my only reply was: "Can I move in?!" The Award-Winning Spa (£50pp for 2 hours): Totally worth it. The water beds in the quiet area were a dream for a quick nap, and the infrared sauna was my absolute favourite. Top-Tier Changing Rooms: The changing rooms (near the spa café) are fantastic. They feature the best power shower I have ever had, plus top-of-the-range GHD hairdryers and straighteners. The "Wow" Room Upgrade: We were upgraded to a Family Suite, which was huge!

(sorry, but honest) Hydration Costs: There is no water fountain in the spa. You have to purchase bottled water at the bar for £3.25, which adds up when you're rehydrating after the sauna. Room Location: Our suite was right next to the lift and the maids' towel room, so we heard some noise during the night and early mornings. Out of Order Facilities: The ice plunge pool was down for maintenance during our stay, which was a shame as we were keen to try it. Basic Breakfast: The food was hot and filling, but the variety was a bit limited—likely because it was a quiet period. The Verdict: The staff were the #1 highlight, followed closely by the incredible spa and the new OAK restaurant. Even with the hotel undergoing a fantastic renovation, the experience was wonderful. We’ll definitely be back—and we'll be taking the bus again!

Nice big room and bed. Breakfast very nice also. Staff very friendly.

It looked like urine marks on the toilet seat around the areas where the toilet seat is connected to the toilet bowl. Creaky floorboards, but expected in an old building. These aren't complaints, by the way.

Had been decorated beautifully

A spa hotel. I expected a POOL. Not £50 extra for 2 hours to use it. It was expensive we could have stayed somewhere for half the price. B&B because that’s all it was. Plus Sunday night it was empty and very boring. TV in the room was all of 12”. I had just finished cancer treatment and thought a Spa hotel would be perfect. But cried it was so disappointing

All the staff where friendly & approachable breakfast was very high quality. The rooms where also.very spacious despite being a solo traveller my room had a large Dbl & a Sngl bed inside, also a jacuzzi bath in the bathroom with a TV at the bottom end of the bath.

I didnt notice until after I'd booked and paid that despite being advertised as a Spa hotel that access to the Spa wasn't included within the cost of the room and that an additional charge of £50 for 2hrs Spa access was required this was somewhat alleviated by the jacuzzi being within the room.

The hotel was beautiful! The reception area is beautifully decorated, we enjoyed the breakfast. Unfortunately we did not have time to the use the spa facilities however they looked amazing!

N/A

Breakfast was ok not brilliant. Room very small. Bed small.

Shower broken. Ceiling lighr hanging off. Stains on carpet. Overall very dated and tired looking.

Staff was friendly and good location

Toilet cistern ran constantly after some fiddling in the middle of the night managed to get it silenced , bed had quite a few long hairs which I had to pick off and shower pipe leaked excessive water when showering and no shelf to put any shower gel or shampoo

We arrived early and the receptionist let us have the room early. We were offered the opportunity to book a table for breakfast and evening dinner.

Room was 15 degrees C on entry - very cold indeed as it was 8 degrees C outside on the day of arrival. There was an electronic thermostat in the room that didn't work, and we had to contact the reception to request that the heating was turned on. We then decided to have lunch in the hotel, but the restaurant staff told us that it would be at least half an hour before they could take our order as the Spa restaurant next door was busy.