Tristan Welch is a highly acclaimed chef with a background in some of the world's most prestigious kitchens, including Le Gavroche and L'Arpège. He is a Gordon Ramsay Scholar and an Acorn Award winner, recognized for...
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We were here this week for a wedding, and everything was perfectly organized. The lunch was delicious, and the staff were exceptionally friendly and accommodating, taking great care to cater to various dietary requirements. We thoroughly enjoyed the entire day. The people in Scotland are incredibly warm and welcoming — something we in the Netherlands could certainly learn from. Thank you very much for making it such a wonderful and memorable day!
Our wedding at Glenapp Castle exceeded every expectation. From the moment we arrived until we checked out, every member of the team made us feel genuinely welcomed and cared for.
Planning a destination wedding from overseas could have been overwhelming, but the staff made the entire process effortless. Every detail was handled professionally, and the day unfolded seamlessly.
The food was outstanding—our seven-course wedding dinner was one of the best meals we’ve ever had. The castle itself is breathtaking, but what truly makes Glenapp special is the incredible staff. Their warmth, attention to detail, and willingness to go above and beyond made our stay unforgettable.
One moment that perfectly captures their hospitality was when they helped arrange for our group to enjoy lunch at the King’s Arms Pub after learning how disappointed we were that it had closed. It was such a thoughtful surprise and created one of our favorite memories from Scotland.
Glenapp Castle gave us the wedding we had always dreamed of, and we will treasure those memories for the rest of our lives. We can’t wait to return.
My wife and I attended Glenapp Castle for afternoon tea as part of my wife’s special birthday.
Our server was bubbly and attentive, unfortunately the standards were not to the level we expected. My table napkin was stained obviously by previous guests it appeared to be makeup.
The finger sandwiches arrived on a wooden serving board which was stained and the sandwiches were prepared to a poor standard, some even had a crust there on. The filling were uninspiring and 3 finger sandwiches each was not value for money. In my booking and on a subsequent follow up phone call I did request no fish and we were shocked to discover that a vol-au-vent with gravlax was served.
I asked for English breakfast tea for 2 and we were served teabags in a teapot for one. I have never had afternoon tea without being served loose leaf tea. I was extremely disappointed with this. The sugar bowl had no tongs or spoon to lift which meant we had to use the spoon served with our cups.
The selection of cakes were served on a plate rather than a cake stand and we would expect better from a 5 star hotel with a Michelin star rating. The cakes were edible but nothing outstanding.
The scones were very good although there was no choice of jam only raspberry.
The azalea greenhouse was tired looking and needs a revamp.
The experience we had was not to the standard we expected and in fact I would rate the visit as the worst afternoon tea I have had.
The photograph of Glenapp Castle afternoon tea on the website bare no resemblance to the afternoon tea we were served unfortunately.
We turned up , on spect, to go to The Azalea, to eat, but it was closed. One of the gardeners kindly rang the castle and they invited us to eat in the castle. The food was exquisite and the service was beyond expected. The whole experience makes us want to come back and bring the family
BIG SCAM !!!! Beautiful property. Shameful conduct.
Our family of six booked three rooms at Glenapp Castle for a birthday celebration, spending over GBP 3,000. Due to British embassy processing delays entirely outside our control, our UK visa was issued valid from 30th May — making it legally impossible for us to check in on our booked dates of 27th May. We hold the official government visa document proving this.
Over 10 days of correspondence, we proposed every fair resolution — a full refund, a date transfer, a 25% penalty with 75% refund, and a credit voucher. Every single one was refused. The proprietor, Mr. Paul Szkiler, personally questioned whether our visa situation was genuine — before being proven categorically wrong by the official visa document.
Most importantly: Glenapp Castle confirmed in writing that they do not hold our payment. Expedia holds the funds and only releases them on the day of arrival. They are blocking a resolution that costs them nothing they have received.
The property is undoubtedly beautiful. But beauty means nothing when a hotel treats guests — particularly international guests from India — this way. If you are an overseas visitor, be warned: if anything beyond your control prevents your stay, Glenapp Castle will keep every penny, offer nothing, and question your honesty.
We have escalated this to Relais & Châteaux, VisitScotland, AA Hotel Services, Michelin Guide, Expedia, and UK Trading Standards. We are also pursuing a formal credit card chargeback. This matter is far from over.