Fabulous afternoon tea in a gorgeous venue... I had always wanted to dine in a castle and I fulfilled this lifelong dream recently by having afternoon tea at Melville Castle. What a gorgeous venue! Tea, sandwiches, scones and cakes were delicious and left us stuffed... but wanting to go back for more! We will definitely repeat some time soon ;)
Edinburgh has a great many attractions for visitors to the city, there is the Zoo, the Theatres, the Museums and of course the Castle. Where there are visitors you get bars, restaurants and of course hotels. The Royal Mile has been a magnet for inns and taverns for a thousand years with everyone vying to get as close to the top as possible. Today nothing has really changed, everywhere you look there are places to eat, drink and sleep (and buy a cheap kilt and a stuffed Scotty dog). There is another way.
As two mummies of young boys (her of two, me of one), Emily and I couldn’t have chosen a better day to plan our overnight escape to Melville Castle, which is located on the Southern tip of Edinburgh towards Dalkeith. The sun was virtually splitting the trees as we drove up the private approach road, and as it happens, trees are something the lush grounds are pretty flush with, the bucolic setting a mere 8 miles from the city centre. A neo-gothic mansion house, it was designed by James Playfair (brother of William) and built between 1786-90 for Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville. By the 1980s the building had been abandoned and was in ruin, later bought and restored in the 1990s by developer William Hay who wanted to bring the property back to life and run it as a hotel venue.
I booked an Afternoon Tea for my mums 70th birthday. Our server was lovely, friendly and polite, even wishing my mum happy birthday as we were seated. She double checked our allergies from our booking form and i realised I hadn't included an allergy to egg. However the Chef was extremely accommodating and ensured my Neice had a delicious selection of sandwiches and sweet treats at very short notice. We will definitely return.
Went with my son and his girlfriend just loved the castle and what they have done with it
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