Gleneagles Hotel
Encyclopedia
The Gleneagles Hotel is a luxury hotel
near Auchterarder
, Perth and Kinross
, Scotland
.
The hotel was built by the former Caledonian Railway Company
and opened in 1924, originally with its own railway station
. The hotel's golf course
and luxurious surroundings meant that golf and grouse shooting at Gleneagles had, by the 1950s, become a fixed part of high society's calendar, along with yachting at Cowes
and polo at Deauville
.
Between 1982 and 1986, £11 million was spent on renovation and since 1982 the hotel has been open all year round. In 1986, and every year since, the hotel has been awarded five red stars
by the AA
. The hotel is now owned by the international alcoholic beverage firm Diageo
.
The hotel is currently undergoing redevelopment in preparation for hosting the 40th Ryder Cup Matches
in 2014 which will be played on the PGA Centenary Course.
courses, the King's Course, Queen's Course and PGA Centenary Course, previously known as the Monarch's Course. There is also a 9 hole course called the Wee Course and a Golf Academy which opened in 1994. The Jack Nicklaus
designed PGA Centenary Course opened in 1993 and will host the Ryder Cup in 2014.
Significant tournaments that have taken place (or will take place) at Gleneagles include:
Its luxury and degree of remoteness have made Gleneagles an ideal location for international conferences and as a spa retreat.
Significant conferences that have taken place (or will take place) at Gleneagles include:
, of Formula One
fame, developed close ties with Gleneagles Hotel and established a successful clay-pigeon shooting school.
The British School of Falconry
has been located at Gleneagles since 1992.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
near Auchterarder
Auchterarder
Auchterarder is a small town located north of the Ochil Hills in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, and home to the famous Gleneagles Hotel. The 1.5 mile long High Street of Auchterarder gave the town its popular name of "Lang Toon"....
, Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross
Perth and Kinross is one of 32 council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy Area. It borders onto the Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee City, Fife, Clackmannanshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute and Highland council areas. Perth is the administrative centre...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
History
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...
and opened in 1924, originally with its own railway station
Gleneagles railway station
Gleneagles railway station serves the town of Auchterarder in Perth and Kinross, Scotland.The station was opened by the Caledonian Railway in 1919 following their takeover of the Scottish Central Railway. The Caledonian Railway built the nearby Gleneagles Hotel, which opened in 1925...
. The hotel's golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
and luxurious surroundings meant that golf and grouse shooting at Gleneagles had, by the 1950s, become a fixed part of high society's calendar, along with yachting at Cowes
Cowes
Cowes is an English seaport town and civil parish on the Isle of Wight. Cowes is located on the west bank of the estuary of the River Medina facing the smaller town of East Cowes on the east Bank...
and polo at Deauville
Deauville
Deauville is a commune in the Calvados département in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.With its racecourse, harbour, international film festival, marinas, conference centre, villas, Grand Casino and sumptuous hotels, Deauville is regarded as the "queen of the Norman beaches" and...
.
Between 1982 and 1986, £11 million was spent on renovation and since 1982 the hotel has been open all year round. In 1986, and every year since, the hotel has been awarded five red stars
Star (classification)
Stars are often used as symbols for classification purposes. They are used by reviewers for ranking things such as movies, TV shows, restaurants, and hotels. For example, one to five stars is commonly employed to categorize hotels.-Restaurant ratings:...
by the AA
The Automobile Association
The Automobile Association , a British motoring association founded in 1905 was demutualised in 1999 to become a private limited company which currently provides car insurance, driving lessons, breakdown cover, loans and motoring advice, and other services...
. The hotel is now owned by the international alcoholic beverage firm Diageo
Diageo
Diageo plc is a global alcoholic beverages company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest producer of spirits and a major producer of beer and wine....
.
The hotel is currently undergoing redevelopment in preparation for hosting the 40th Ryder Cup Matches
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
in 2014 which will be played on the PGA Centenary Course.
Restaurants
Gleneagles has four restaurants. The Strathearn (fine dining, Head Chef Paul Devonshire) is the hotel's main and most formal Restaurant, and is the location in which guests take breakfast. The Deseo restaurant is a Mediterranean, family restaurant. It has 6 main areas: the main restaurant floor; Braids coffee bar; Deseo cocktail bar; Deseo at the spa; the quiet area (which is an adults-only quiet dining area) and the food emporium. The last contains an area filled with the fresh produce used by the chefs, and an area from which one can watch the chefs work behind a fish, meat and cheese counter (Head Chef Ronan Macdonnel). In addition can be found The Dormy Clubhouse (Head Chef Jeremy Brazelle), and the fourth restaurant is Andrew Fairlie's, a fine dining restaurant, awarded two Michelin stars, which is owned and run by chef Andrew Fairlie. Every kitchen in Gleneagles (apart from Fairlie's) is presided over by Executive Chef Allan Gibb.Golf
Gleneagles has remained famous for its world class golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
courses, the King's Course, Queen's Course and PGA Centenary Course, previously known as the Monarch's Course. There is also a 9 hole course called the Wee Course and a Golf Academy which opened in 1994. The Jack Nicklaus
Jack Nicklaus
Jack William Nicklaus , nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is an American professional golfer. He won 18 career major championships on the PGA Tour over a span of 25 years and is widely regarded as one of the greatest professional golfers of all time. In addition to his 18 Majors, he was runner-up a...
designed PGA Centenary Course opened in 1993 and will host the Ryder Cup in 2014.
Significant tournaments that have taken place (or will take place) at Gleneagles include:
- Curtis CupCurtis CupThe Curtis Cup is the best known team trophy for women amateur golfers, awarded in the biennial Curtis Cup Match . It is co-organised by the United States Golf Association and the Ladies Golf Union and is contested by teams representing the United States and "Great Britain and Ireland"...
in 1936 - Women's British OpenWomen's British OpenThe Women's British Open is a leading event in women's professional golf and the only tournament which is classified as a major championship by both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour. Since 2007, it has been called the Ricoh Women's British Open, for sponsorship reasons...
in 1957 - Scottish OpenScottish Open (golf)The Scottish Open, which has been sponsored by Barclays Capital since 2002, is one of the richer golf tournaments on the European Tour. It is currently played at Castle Stuart Golf Links in Inverness in the North of Scotland...
from 1987 to 1994 - Scottish PGA/Johnnie Walker Champs.Johnnie Walker Championship at GleneaglesThe Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles is a European Tour golf tournament which is played at the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. The tournament was founded in 1999 as the Scottish PGA Championship, and despite maintaining the same sponsor, has since changed name on several occasions, as Diageo...
from 1999 to present - 40th Ryder Cup MatchesRyder CupThe Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
in 2014
Conference venue
Significant conferences that have taken place (or will take place) at Gleneagles include:
- The Gleneagles AgreementGleneagles AgreementThe Gleneagles Agreement was unanimously approved by the Commonwealth of Nations at a meeting at Gleneagles, Auchterarder, Scotland. In 1977, Commonwealth Presidents and Prime Ministers agreed, as part of their support for the international campaign against apartheid, to discourage contact and...
on sporting contacts with South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 1977Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 1977The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 1977 was the fourth Meeting of the Heads of Government of the Commonwealth of Nations. It was held in London, the United Kingdom, between 8 June 1977 and 15 June 1977, and was hosted by that country's Prime Minister, James Callaghan.The Gleneagles...
. - The 1986 meeting (April 25–27) of the Bilderberg GroupBilderberg GroupThe Bilderberg Group, Bilderberg conference, or Bilderberg Club is an annual, unofficial, invitation-only conference of approximately 120 to 140 guests from North America and Western Europe, most of whom are people of influence. About one-third are from government and politics, and two-thirds from...
- 31st G8 summit31st G8 summitThe 31st G8 summit was held from July 6 to July 8, 2005 at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland, United Kingdom and hosted by British Prime Minister Tony Blair...
in July 2005 – the London tube bombings7 July 2005 London bombingsThe 7 July 2005 London bombings were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks in the United Kingdom, targeting civilians using London's public transport system during the morning rush hour....
took place in the middle of the summit. This meeting saw the foundation of the G8+5G8+5The G8+5 group of leaders consists of the heads of government from the G8 nations , plus the heads of government of the five leading emerging economies .-February 2007 Declaration:On February 16, 2007, The Global Legislators Organisation The G8+5 group of leaders consists of the heads of government...
.
Other facilities
Sir Jackie StewartJackie Stewart
Sir John Young Stewart, OBE , better known as Jackie Stewart, and nicknamed The Flying Scotsman, is a Scottish former racing driver and team owner. He competed in Formula One between 1965 and 1973, winning three World Drivers' Championships. He also competed in Can-Am...
, of Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
fame, developed close ties with Gleneagles Hotel and established a successful clay-pigeon shooting school.
The British School of Falconry
Falconry
Falconry is "the taking of wild quarry in its natural state and habitat by means of a trained raptor". There are two traditional terms used to describe a person involved in falconry: a falconer flies a falcon; an austringer flies a hawk or an eagle...
has been located at Gleneagles since 1992.
Glenmor Holiday Homes
The village of Glenmor has holiday homes set within the grounds of the hotel.Awards
Gleneagles Hotel has won/holds many awards, including- 5 Red AA Stars (since 1986)
- Conde Nast Gold List 2009 - Best Hotel in the World for Facilities
- Scotland's leading resort at the World Travel Awards 2008