The south-west of Scotland is known as Burns County because the Scottish national poet spent his life here. The area on the coast of the Irish Sea is full of historically significant places. A cultural tour of southern Scotland could include an overnight stay in a historic and stylish hotel. The Friars Carse Country House Hotel is charming, set amidst woods and hills in an enchanting landscape. The Friars Carse has a long history as a monastic building and manor house and is a classic Scottish country house hotel. Surrounded by dark, antique furniture and tartan patterns, enjoying a whisky by a crackling fire is the crowning glory of an autumnal day. So today I would like to introduce you to Friars Carse Country House Hotel, a country house hotel in the south of Scotland.
Friars Carse Country House Hotel – An elegant castle hotel in the south-west of Scotland
The term “castle hotel” is actually wrong, as Friars Carse Country House is a manor house and not a castle. On a guided tour of an English castle, I learnt that only a royal appointment makes a castle a castle. No matter how imposing or grand a manor house is, if the British Queen or King doesn’t give the manor house a castle title, then it’s not a castle. This is why there are so many country houses, manors and halls in the UK that look like beautiful castles but are not. Friars Carse is also a country house, i.e. a manor or country house.
The Country House Hotel in the south of Scotland looks like a castle. The exterior alone, with its mighty tower and playful bay windows, is very imposing. The hotel is surrounded by a small park, which still needs some maintenance to shine in all its splendour. Inside, you can expect the dignified atmosphere of a historic hotel with dark panelling, heavy curtains and antique furniture. It was a pleasure to spend the autumn evenings by the crackling open fire and taste various Scottish whiskies.
The rooms at Friars Carse Country House Hotel
We didn’t book a suite, but a classic room. Although this was also decorated in tartan, it was furnished in a more modern style. The box-spring bed was very contemporary, but incredibly comfortable. The bathrooms (at least the bathroom in our room) are not appropriate for a castle hotel, the hotel still has some catching up to do.
The restaurant “The Whistle & Nith”
The hotel restaurant had a lot of good reviews, which it really deserved. The food is well flavoured and attractively served, which is not always the case with British restaurants. The breakfast was also very good. In addition to the classic Full Scottish Breakfast, you could choose between several freshly prepared alternatives, such as avocado with poached eggs on toast or Eggs Benedict.
The history of Friar Carse Country House
The present manor house is a neo-Gothic building that was erected in the mid-19th century on the foundations of a much older manor house. It was built in the Baronial style, a Scottish variation of the Gothic Revival. The name “Friars Carse” is a reminder of the Cistercian monastery that once stood on the site. It was a monastery founded by the Cistercians of Melrose Abbey. However, nothing remains of the monastery today. In 1771, the then owner of the estate, Robert Riddell, had the dilapidated monastery buildings demolished in order to build a new manor house. Robert Riddell (1755-1794) was a friend and patron of the Scottish national poet Robert Burns, who I will come back to in a moment. The Riddell family manor house was in turn largely demolished in the 19th century to build the present manor house.
In the 20th century, the manor house was converted into a convalescent home for wealthy mental patients. Only aristocratic residents, including members of the royal family, recuperated here. Later, the building became a convalescent home for the post office. It has been used as a hotel for around 20 years.
On the trail of Robert Burns in Friars Carse
Dumfries is the neighbourhood of Robert Burns. You come across the poet all the time. However, I didn’t realise that he had such a close connection to Friars Carse. As mentioned above, Robert Burns was a close friend of the owner of the manor house, Robert Riddell. He left him a hermitage just a few metres from the manor house. The hermitage is a small summer cottage built by Robert Riddell. In the middle of the woods, Burns was able to work in absolute peace. He retreated here to write poetry and drink with his friend Robert. Today’s hermitage is a replica from the mid-19th century, but the barren interior is said to have looked exactly the same. The Masonic symbols in the gables above the entrance door is a reminder of Burns’ membership of a lodge.
The friendship between Robert Burns and Robert Riddell ended abruptly after Burns was involved in a drunken incident. The scandal was called “The Rape of the Sabines”, in which the ladies present were clearly molested. It is said that there were frequent drinking competitions at Friars Carse House, in which Burns was almost always present. One winner, a Scandinavian, is said to have been able to drink eight bottles of red wine.
How do I get to the Friars Carse Country House Hotel near Dumfries?
The Country House Hotel is located away from the towns and is surrounded by woods. The nearest village, Aulgrith, is about one mile away and the nearest town, Dumfries, about 7 miles. There is no public transport to the hotel, so you are reliant on a car, taxi or Uber. However, there is a bus stop on the main road called “Friars Carse Road End”, where the buses stop very regularly. From there, it’s about a 10-minute walk to the hotel, although unfortunately you sometimes have to use unpaved paths. The easiest way to reach the hotel is of course by car, but there are also good public transport connections.
Address: Auldgirth, Dumfries DG2 0SA, UK
Website: https://www.friarscarse.co.uk/
And a legend at the end….
As I always like to mention, there is a huge amount of ghosts in British historic buildings. So, naturally, several ghosts were spotted in Friars Carse Country House and its environs. A white lady was spotted in the former servants’ quarters. It is said to be a servant girl who took her own life. In the restaurant, if you are lucky, you may see the ghost of an elegantly dressed gentleman . He is dressed like a gentleman from the mid-19th century. He is sitting in the restaurant smoking a pipe. It is said that you can also meet hooded monks in the neighbourhood of the house at night.
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