Gleneagles Townhouse

The Spence is the restaurant of Gleneagles Townhouse (an offshoot of the other fancy Gleneagles) on St Andrew Square We went for afternoon tea, but I think it has a Michelin star. All the food (savoury, cakes and scones) were wonderful. £65 a head. Accompanied by teas or coffees. Amazing-steps that turn into a lift for wheelchair-I’ve only seen this once before at the Kimpton Fitzroy hotel in London. Practically invisible-can be used to make listed buildings accessible. Steps retract and sides come up electronically to become a lift.

I have to add my own very positive experience this weekend. The Gleneagles Townhouse in Edinburgh has the most amazing access - it is a magnificent, listed building so certain conditions had to be met. The unique stone has been matched to its surroundings so that an observer might not notice there was anything different. In fact, when I first arrived and saw it I wondered “where is the access to the left of the main door?” It is my understanding that there are only two of these in existence! Full marks to this hotel for their foresight and disability compliance. The whole hotel was completely accessible throughout and the staff were wonderful!

We stayed for two nights at this Edinburgh hotel which is in the former Bank of Scotland branch building on St Andrew Square which I used to come to for business banking in the late 1980s and early 1990s. We had one of the two accessible rooms (the hotel only has 33 rooms in total) where the facilities were first rate, with all the hand rails you could ever need. The hotel has a few steps in places which I was able to negotiate, but there is also a wheelchair entrance at the side of the building. There are refuge call buttons in several places should anyone need assistance within the building. The Spence restaurant on the ground floor and the Lamplighters bar on the fifth floor both have disabled toilets within a short distance.