Every Open Golf championship, Scottish hotels double their prices if they are anywhere within half a day's drive of the championship venue. The Royal Hotel was certainly not selling itself short during Open week at nearby Carnoustie, weighing in at £100 a night for £55 a night accommodation. We were in the annexe which is grim- the main hotel being a beautiful old building which has been vandalised inside with rooms called things like the Kiltie Grill, painted dark red and having suspended ceilings. The showers in our rooms did not have anywhere for soap or shampoo and if you don't get out of your rooms early on the chamber maids will have gone. Two Slovakian guys seem to work from dawn until dawn trying to keep everyone happy and appear to be fighting a losing battle. If they are not serving breakfast, working in the bar they must be at reception. Check in at The Royal if you want an overnight stay as it is clean but do not make it your base and do check on what rate you are being offered. We were mugged.

As with many family run establishments the personal interest taken by management makes for a happy stay. I was there for two nights and arrived very late from edinburgh but phoning ahead the manager Iain stayed up to check me in to a recently renovated quiet comfortable roomy corner bedroom with ensuite which has views out over ye olde worlde of Blairgowrie. Compared to London the room rate for B& B was excellent. The stairs to the upper floors might slow an older person. The hotel provided a meeting room for me and approx. 20 attendees on a Saturday afternoon at a reasonable cost (even by New Zealand standards) at short notice. On the Saturday evening the manager explained the background to several of the many varieties of whiskeys available at the bar and their traits with mild sampling included at a modest cost. A little water brings out the essence of the product. The "Black Bottle" from Islay with its peated smokey blend was memorable. On arriving back in NZ I found I had overpaid my account but there was no problem obtaining a refund. It pays to read what you are signing for. Would be a great place to base a week in Scotland on.