I have to admit that going out to see the newly-refurbished Kirkhouse Inn in Blanefield was a trip down memory lane for me. For back in the early 80’s I had my first bar job there in its cocktail bar. It was the era of Pina Colada’s and Tequila Sunrise’s, and the bar was shut between 3pm and 5pm every day! Not only that but in the evenings you had to wear a long brown skirt!
Today the facade has hardly changed – although it is now cream, as opposed to white, and the only other remnant of days gone by is the position of its reception. That apart, the downstairs of the Kirkhouse is not recognisable from my day.
Now owned by husband and wife team Allan and Margaret Duncan, who also own, but lease out the nearby Strathblane Country House, the Kirkhouse has been given a £200K facelift since the couple bought the Inn just before Christmas.
Says Allan, “It was in a terrible state when we took it over. Over the years it has had a number of owners, but most recently it was in administration and then it was bought by a financial institution. We did a deal with them to buy the freehold.”
He continues, “We have completely refurbished the downstairs areas and we are half way through the bedrooms. We’ve done seven, but by the beginning of February we will have them all completed.”
When you walk through the glass doors of the Kirkhouse you immediately come into a large, spacious reception area which has a bespoke tartan carpet. Says Allan, “We commissioned this from Stevens & Graham, and it carries right through into the restaurant and the bar, and up the stairs to the rooms.” The reception area has a comfortable and stylish couch, situated beside an equally stylish living-flame fire, which is framed by two statement lamps and a round, glass coffee table. Diagonally across in the window there are two matching purple chairs and another coffee table. In fact most of the upholstery is in shades of purple – from the fixed seating in the restaurant to the chairs in the bar.
The tartan carpet, which has a striking purple, cream and dark green design, sets off beautifully the bespoke wallpaper with its giant thistles, which is used in the reception and restaurant area.
The new-look restaurant, which is situated on the left hand side of the Kirkhouse, is called The Thrisstle Seafood and Grill, the word Thrisstle being the Scottish word for thistle. Allan, who is a chef to trade, explains, “There is not really a good restaurant in this area. There are quite a few places doing bar food but nowhere does seafood.”
The elegant restaurant has its own bar as well as a fixed dance floor where bands play, and further through there is an additional space. Allan says, “We have really opened up this area. The new space means that we can host regular dinner dances which are very popular. We also do a Family carvery on a Sunday in the restaurant and we bought new carvery equipment. In the rear space we are also able to host funerals and private functions and this area can be curtained off when not in use.”
He continues, “We have re-carpeted all the public areas, and re-upholstered all the seating. New curtains and blinds as well as new living-flame fires have gone in, and we have totally re-decorated and put in new ceilings. The kitchen has also been totally re-equipped. Upstairs in the bedrooms we have put in double glazing, new beds, new soft furnishings, re-upholstered the furniture and have completely re-placed all the bathrooms. It’s been a big investment for us.”
Directly across from the restaurant is the bar which the couple call ‘The Sports Bar’. It is a very plush looking sports bar. The tartan carpet is continued in this area and there are large glass doors, at the far end, which in the summer will take you out to a patio area. The bar has been complimented by green wood panelling, smoked glass and another living-flame fire. The end result is a bar which could equally double as a coffee-lounge. Says Allan, “This is where we serve bar food. We also do a good range of beers, including the increasing popular craft beers. This appeals to our younger customers and our digital jukebox is well-used. We also have Sky through here. This is where the locals like to watch sport.”
In fact Allan is delighted with the feedback he has been getting from locals. He tells me, “They have started to come back to the Kirkhouse. At Hogmanay we hosted a dinner dance for 100 people and it was a big success, and it was mainly locals that came.”
He continues, “It’s not easy running a place like the Kirkhouse, especially now the new drink-driving limit has kicked in. I’ve already seen my drinks sales dipping. However we also benefit from the fact we have great accommodation business. This is a big wedding area with lots of good venues that don’t have enough accommodation for everyone. We’ve also got the John Muir walk right on our doorstep and we get lots of walkers staying too. Another group that use the hotel are cyclists. Every month 40/50 drop in. It will definitely be food and accommodation that drives this business.”
Luckily Allan is not strange to the food side of the business. He has been a chef all his days and still does a turn in the kitchen. He explains, “I worked for Stakis for many years and in fact I was the executive chef in charge when The Grosvenor in Glasgow re-opened after the fire. I was there when it was still being run by Sir Reo, and in fact I met Margaret, my wife, at Stakis.”
He didn’t just work at The Grosvenor, Allan also worked for British Transport Hotels and at Dunblane Hydro. He was a runner up as Scottish Chef of the Year in the 80’s. He and Margaret went out on their own when they bought the Creel Inn at Caterline near Aberdeen and over the years have run restaurants, coffee shops and catering companies. They took over the Strathblane Country House Hotel eight years ago, and the couple, who live locally, are now delighted to have the Kirkhouse. Says Allan, “The Kirkhouse is a traditional Scottish inn, with a modern twist. I believe by offering quality rooms and quality food we will capture the all-important tourist market.”
It’s great to see the Kirkhouse in its new plumage. I can’t wait to show my old friends.
