The Old Manse of Blair

We had a wonderful stay in this fantastic Michelin starred Hotel & Restaurant. It’s gorgeous and peaceful with beautiful views and outstanding food! It was a special occasion and we wanted everything to be perfect so spoke to the hotel before booking to ensure our access needs would be catered for. When we explained our requirements they recommended an accessible suite close to the main hotel with step free access into the restaurant and bar area by the open fire. We were also offered lifts in their buggy if we wanted it. The room was fabulous. The two kingsized beds were quite high -which suited us - but you can ask for lower bedsteads. There was a wet room which included a toilet with grab rails. We parked our car close to the room. We recommend speaking to the hotel before booking to discuss your needs as not every room will be as accessible. But they are very proactive and want you to have a great experience. NB there is a step up to the front entrance but the side entrance is step free.

A newspaper article deemed this hotel good for accessibility, with several easy access rooms, so I decided to try it. Advice from the hotel suggested that the Stables family suite is the most suitable for wheelchair access and has a wet room, but since I only need step-free access I opted for the Georgian Suite, the only ground floor room inside the hotel and the second most expensive in the hotel (the Stables suite being the highest priced). I found one step at the door of the hotel but once inside, I could move from room to bar and restaurant step-free. The bar couldn’t be closer, being immediately outside the room, handy staggering distance but rather noisy if you want a quiet getaway. The bathroom was ok, containing only a shower and no bath, but there is one (approx 3 - 4 inch) step up into the shower, which has both a handheld and fixed showerhead. The hotel thoughtfully provided temporary hand holds for the shower, which grip onto the tiles wherever you need them. They also offered a shower seat. The bed is very high, but there was an offer to swap the base for a lower one. Unfortunately, as usual the biggest problem was no chair in the room comfortable for me to sit with my back supported and feet on the floor. I can’t review this hotel from the point of view of wheelchair user, but I did notice that the Stables suite is a short distance from the hotel, up a slope with a very small step (about 1-2 inch) at the top onto the terrace that leads to the level door of the room. It looks as if the restaurant is accessible step-free from the courtyard at the foot of the slope.