Dumfries

Next Christmas present to use, an overnight stay at Blackaddie Hotel and a special dinner.
We’d done our research and swathed in AA accolades have been looking forward to it.
First we went to Dumfries House and so impressed by Charles’ vision and what he has brought to a region where the deprivation is palpable having driven through a good few desolate towns.
Beautiful paths and gardens although we didn’t choose the best time of year as the gardens were still fairly dormant and we didn’t have time for a tour of the house which looks spectacular.. However, we vowed to come back and see the house and gardens properly.
To Blackaddie next and what a charming old house hotel, the charm wore off rather quickly with the 17year old girl who greeted us. Incompetence doesn’t cover it, literally did not have a clue, how to check us in, where our room was, and no it wasn’t her first day.
We had an hour before dinner and salivated over what to choose on the a la carte menu which was in the room.

Down to the bar, Girl was now barmaid (legal?) two Ginsplease. She didn’t know what tonic was and hadn’t heard of Schweppes.. half an hour later and she then mixed up our gins and shrugged saying just smell them and work it out.
Handed our menus, Lounge Menu… eh no, we’re having the a la carte, no that’s not on tonight. Umm could you check please because this is the only reason we’re here.
She went and told the chef/owner who stormed out, short Italian filthy, unshaven furious ball of anger… shouting that we hadn’t read the website and a la carte was by request only, despite the fact we had booked by phone and no one had mentioned this rather vital fact He then said we should have said when we checked in. I pointed out Girl didn’t offer it. Nor offered on the phone.
He was not for backing down, stormed back off to his kitchen where he and his wife had an enormous effing and jeffing shouting match about us completely in our hearing.
If we weren’t in the middle of nowhere with a voucher for food. We’d have walked.

I wish we did

The food was processed rubbish, oven chips and venison that was beef from the freezer. Awful
We were back in our room by 9 rescued by the bar of dairy milk I had secreted in the suitcase , plotting our Tripadvisor review.

Do not EVER got to Blackaddie House Hotel. Such a shame as it has every potential, but poor and unprofessionally executed.