Ernespie House Hotel

We stayed at Ernespie House Hotel as we had a birthday to attend in the nearby town. We live local in Dumfries and Galloway and had passed the hotel lots of times - but wow were we blown away. Right off the bat the staff were welcoming and warm, the hotel itself has that grandeur that's not 'stuffy', but actually somehow homely and comfortable while also being beautiful. The views alone out the restaurant windows are to die for. We ate in the restaurant for dinner and it was hands down the best food we've had in Dumfries and Galloway. We tried both traditional with a steak pie and mash and off continent with a curry and rice and found both to be of exceptional standard - first time we've ate somewhere and actively talked about it all night and how good it was. The stay overnight was fantastic. Our room was warm, the bed was massive which was great, and so comfortable. There was a sofa and coffee table in the room which made it really nice to spend time in because you weren't forced to be sitting on beds or feeling like you were cramped in. The room was spacious and beautifully decorated, plenty of power points and surfaces for putting things and very very clean. Because it's set back out of the main town of Castle Douglas it's also really quiet, the walk up and down the drive is really nice for a wee dose of fresh air! We then had breakfast which was again beautifully done. Everything you'd expect was available including plenty of tea, coffee and toast. Because we were checking out the Sunday we decided to stay on for their lunch carvery and were not disappointed. Once again the food was out of this world. The carvery offered some light starter options as well as alternative mains if you didn't want the traditional carvery, but we did. Genuinely this is the first roast dinner I have eaten in a restaurant setting I was more than happy to pay for - it had everything you'd expect in a homemade roast including homemade Yorkshire puddings, proper gravy and crispy, tasty roast potatoes. Topped that off with their scottish tablet sundae which was so moreish. So, what initially was a plan for a convenient place to stop off nearby to the party has been a pleasant surprise and now a firm favourite that will see our return custom time and again from now on!