How a 15th century castle near Glasgow was transformed into a luxury hotel - and what comes next (original) (raw)

In a secluded corner of High Blantyre, about 20 minutes drive from Glasgow, Crossbasket Castle is a dreamy 15th-century stronghold that has been reimagined into a luxury hotel and dining destination. This is the story of that transformation.

Crossbasket Castle, has stood, in one form or another, in the 14 acres estate that now sits on the border of East Kilbride, for six centuries. The 34th and current owners of the castle, Steve and Alison Timoney created a luxury hotel and event venue from the ancient tower and its Georgian and Victorian extensions. Since it was rescued from dereliction in 2016, Crossbasket has become one of Scotland’s leading wedding venues. Its restaurant was established through an association with Michelin-star chef Albert Roux and then continued by his son Michel Roux Jr.

When entrepreneur Steve Timoney first stepped inside the castle in 2011, it was closer to ruin than revival. “The place was derelict. It was flooded. When you opened the main castle doors, there was water running down the stairs,” he recalls . The building was at risk of being converted into flats or languishing in a state of disrepair.

Timoney hadn’t gone looking for a castle. He had driven past the landmark for years, glimpsing its silhouette through trees on his commute along the East Kilbride Expressway. It was his wife, Alison, who saw something more. “She told me we were going to see the castle one day, when we got there to me it was a wreck but Ali went deep into the building and came back saying we’re going to turn this into an amazing event space. She could see the potential straight away, it was her vision.’” he says.

“Ali's talent is that she can look at an old building and visualise what it might look like when she's done with it. And I can't. I just see the rock and the dampness. I don't think I really understood that it was such an iconic and important building.”

Rather than imposing a contemporary aesthetic, the Timoneys approached the restoration with a kind of archaeological sensitivity. “We took the view that we’re not going to do anything modern to dry the dampness out. We also restored the castle’s original drainage systems that took the water away from the castle and towards the river in a natural way.” Timoney explains . The result was a slow, patient return. Original panelling was removed, restored, and reinstalled. Ceilings were rebuilt not as replicas, but as continuations of the castle’s architectural language: “When we put it all back together we could actually see it became a castle in front of our eyes.”

Afternoon tea at Crossbasket Castle | Crossbasket Castle

“It wasn’t a strategy to turn it into a hotel at first,” Timoney says. “It was just that we wanted to share the space with people.”

The pivot towards hospitality came through a visit from culinary royalty. After early publicity around the project, the Timoneys were approached by Albert Roux and Michel Roux Jr, names synonymous with the best of fine dining in the UK. Their verdict was immediate and decisive: “They said, ‘This is a hotel all day long’”.

What followed was an unusually close collaboration. Albert Roux, in particular, became a frequent presence at the castle, drawn as much to Scotland as by the project itself: “I was starstruck when Michel and Albert came to town because they're very, very famous people. And Albert, I warmed to him right away because he had his chocolate Labrador that went everywhere with him. He came up to the castle and his Labrador used to run about the grounds.

“He loved fishing. He loved Scotland. He loved everything about Scotland. I think he spent a lot more time up at the castle than he had to. He just had this love of Scottish history and Scottish heritage. We had that connection through a shared fascination with history and he also loved Alison, he used to say she lit up the room.

“He taught me a lot about fine dining. He used to slap me on the wrist if ever I brought a cup of coffee and my thumb was over the saucer. He told me "you'll never be a waiter." I says, "Well, I don't really want to be a waiter, but I take your point." That kind of thing has stayed with us now, I’ll show some of the youngsters that are in the hotel, this is how Albert Roux taught me to put a plate down and carry a saucer.

“I remember I gave him a sgian-dubh as a gift, a Damascus blade with a 5000 year old oak handle and he just adored that. We had a great relationship and he had a really deep love of Scotland. Sadly Albert passed away and Michel took over with his daughter Emily and they have both maintained that connection with us and the castle.”

Crossbasket opened as a nine-bedroom boutique hotel with an intimate fine-dining restaurant. The project quickly expanded. A ballroom was added, designed to appear as though it had always been part of the estate, complete with chandeliers crafted in a style found in royal residences. A ceremony hall followed. The most striking addition, however, is the 1920s-inspired hotel extension, adding more rooms and two restaurants, Foveran’s and Trocadero’s.

The hotel has invested in local recruitment and training: “I’ve always sought to take youngsters who people keep putting down and build their confidence,” Timoney says . “If our staff are enthusiastic our customers will feel that. And if customers feel that, they’ll come back.”

Albert Roux and son Michel Roux Jnr (centre), with granddaughter Emily, in 2016. | Local Library

Crossbasket Castle recently announced that it will adopt an owner-operator model, with Steve and Alison taking over the management of the business: “This was the first project that me and Ali worked on together and we still have that passion for driving things on here. We want to deliver that vision together.”

Apart from not putting his thumb on a saucer, is there any other lessons from hospitality Steve has learned at Crossbasket? “I've been lucky enough to travel the world and stay in some of the best hotels and enjoy some of the good, bad and indifferent spas across the world. We know the technical details of hospitality but it really comes down to how you make people feel. It’s not about stuffy five star service and wearing a tie. Where me and Ali are coming from, is how guests feel when they arrive, while they are here and when they leave. The other focus is on the staff and making them the centre of everything we do.”

The next chapter for Crossbasket comes in the form of a destination spa and luxury riverside cabins that will open early autumn.

The Four Angels spa draws its name from a nearby waterfall on the castle’s grounds and will feature organic spa products from the Isle of Harris and range of restorative facilities, including dedicated relaxation spaces, four tranquil treatment rooms and an immersive thermal suite.

Twelve luxury timber cabins will also be introduced along the banks of the river, inspired by the Hebridean Spa. You can read more about the plans here and the latest seasonal menu from Michel Roux Jr for the hotel’s restaurant here.