Dornoch Castle Hotel - Whisky Bar & Dining - Takeaway Pizza

For the whisky fan, there is little better destination, but photos did not do it justice for me. Once I arrived, and stood out front in person, a wave just came over me. A mood, ambiance, gravitas... for this time of year, also, the fireplace was going, and I felt an immediate coziness and comfort. After we checked into our room (which was spotless, classy, and comfortable), I returned to the bar where I had my first dram in the quiet period between lunch and dinner. The room emptied out and for a brief time I was alone, seated in front of the fireplace with my dram, and "had a moment". "This may be the happiest or most content I've ever been." |We booked into the restaurant for dinner on both nights of our stay... given the time of year, and the main purpose of visiting, I figured why go elsewhere, when everything is catered for onsite? The dinner menu was fantastic. My wife went for her staple of Fish & Chips, I tried the Haggis and Nduja pizza - Fab! Perhaps a little pricier than some other restaurants with similar menus, but I'm not arguing over a couple of pounds, as long as the food is good. This, coupled with the cost of our room - a discounted rate for booking ahead and paying upfront - also more than I usually spend when travelling to the UK, because more money spent on other things means less money spent on Whisky! But for the price, I felt the rooms, and hotel, was exceptional value. The whole time there was the highlight of my two week trip to Scotland. On top of that, all the staff were lovely, and fantastic at their jobs, and on first name basis by the end of our short 2 night stay. |Given the season and weather, it was never crammed, and not overly noisy or overwhelming for the senses - something I am mindful of given my wife can get sensory overload easily and retreat from such environments. The whole grounds were beautiful, and despite the outdoors not being used with the cold, it must be heaving in the warmer months! |There's no question I will return in the future for more whisky adventures. Perhaps in a warmer time of the year to experience the outside beer garden and liveliness. But I can imagine super cosy Christmas and New Year's spent indoors by the fireside. |Great job folks. I absolutely loved my time here.

En-suite bathroom was too cold to contemplate having a bath or shower! Bathroom bin hadn’t been emptied from previous guests. Bedroom also pretty chilly. Net curtains were shredding and carpet was stained. Otherwise, enjoyed our stay. Restaurant staff friendly and efficient. Good food. Excellent location.

Wow what can I say! An amazing place to stay.|The Castle Hotel exceeded our expectations. The staff were amazing, glorious food at the restaurant and a beautiful room to stay in. Not to mention the whiskey. I would highly recommend this hotel as it is in a beautiful setting. You have the museum, Cathederal, hot chocolate shop and a stunning beach to see. It was very quiet, relaxing retreat and the Scottish people went out of their way to make it a memorable stay.

We stayed in the ‘Old Court Room’. It was huge and amazing, just what you would expect when staying in a castle. We were well looked after from arrival to departure and enjoyed great dinners and adequate breakfasts. It has a Whiskey Bar that is very well stocked and even their own Whiskey which we enjoyed a sample of. We arranged champagne and treats for arrival and were very grateful for the plunge coffee and awesome fireplace.

The castle is beautiful, and if you like whisky as much as I do, the bar is fantastic! The restaurant serves good food and the staff are pleasant. It's too bad that the rooms overlooking the garden are cold at night, but above all... according to the castle's website, half the price of the rooms was supposed to be charged to our card before our stay. The payment was not taken as agreed, and we don't know why. We were surprised to learn that we had to pay the full price for the rooms on site. This was not what had been agreed, which is regrettable.

Second time visiting, and much like the first everything was perfect. The setting is magnificent, the room faultless, and staff were beyond helpful. The food was almost as fabulous as the whisky selection. Bonus points to Jamie for spending the time to suggest drams to suit our tastes. A great experience.

Didn't stay there so can only comment on the restaurant, which was lovely. Great vegan pizza (they had vegan cheese and even vegan feta) and lovely caprese ciabatta. Also Cromarty beer which is always good. Dog friendly and nice staff.

We have had so many lovely dinners out at the Castle. Such a well designed restaurant with fantastic food at a more than reasonable price. The staff are amazing and always make us feel really welcome every time we come in to eat which draws us back even more!