Looking for an luxurious venue for a few days in Scotland then Cairndale Hotel & Spa might just be the answer...
With their perfectly central location, The Cairndale Hotel & Spa is the ideal spot for exploring the local area, playing a few rounds of golf or enjoying a family holiday. Known as one of the friendliest hotels in Dumfries and Galloway, they are ready to welcome you with open arms.
We sent Women & Golf member, Val, and her husband, Phil, to check out the award-winning Spa and local golf course, Dumfries and County Golf Club. You'll find her feedback in "quotation marks" below.
"We arrived near the centre of Dumfries at the front of the red sandstone hotel, missed the entrance and arrived at the back of the hotel where the carpark was located! After a short walk up the steps and along the front of the hotel we entered the reception area. This was beautifully decorated with a colourful 1920’s themed mural on the curved wall of the staircase opposite the entrance."
Stay
Hearty Scottish breakfast, comfortable and convenient accommodation, what more could you ask for? Perfectly situated in the heart of Dumfries town centre, The Cairndale is an ideal base for all your golfing adventures.
There are a selection of rooms - classic, superior, luxury king, four poster and family.
Four poster room
Character, charm and comfort. The four poster/ deluxe rooms give you a glimpse into the history of the hotel.
With large bay windows, high ceilings and period features throughout, you can marvel at the four-poster bed, full marble bathrooms and every amenity you can think of.
"After checking out the products in the spa reception we retired to our room. The room was a reasonable size, with a four-poster double bed, and the usual bedroom furniture. In the corner was the turret area, with a curved wall and double aspect windows overlooking the main street. The television and coffee and tea making facilities were located here with two upholstered chairs. The coffee was provided in capsules with a suitable machine, and there was a choice of tea, with biscuits. The bathroom was clean and simply furnished. The bed was very comfortable."
Food
The Cairndale Hotel & Spa offers a selection of delicious Scottish and British-inspired dishes to suit every taste. Served across three different dining spaces – The Lounge, The Spa Café and Reivers restaurant. They offer a host of traditional and contemporary flavours to tantalise the tastebuds, whether it’s a light lunch, evening meal or a luxurious afternoon tea.
A new bar and restaurant will soon open - The Oak. A cosy and comfortable reimagining of an old favourite, The Oak promises restful refreshment, a delicious menu and the warmest of welcomes to visitors and locals alike.
Sample of food on offer at the Cairndale
"We enjoyed lunch in the Spa Café upstairs, opposite the spa reception. The room was light and airy and the staff were friendly and welcoming. We enjoyed bao buns with slow cooked pork shoulder and kimchi. The buns were soft and light and the pork very tender with a pleasant spicy barbeque sauce. The kimchi was a well-chosen accompaniment. I had Ramen to follow, with a spicy Asian sauce, plump and soft noodles and coriander and Pak choi and grilled salmon on top. My husband tried the beer battered cod and chips, served with peas and tartar sauce. He really enjoyed this, especially the light batter and the chips – and believe me, he’s eaten a lot of fish and chips!!
We both enjoyed the Cairndale Eton Mess, with mini meringues, strawberry jelly, whipped cream and fresh strawberries. A delightful mixture!""The evening meal menu was very similar to the lunch menu, but we were advised that a new restaurant and bar area was under development in the basement and was expected to open in July 2025. The hotel clearly supported local businesses and the Sassenach gin from The Crafty Distillery was excellent."
After golf
"We returned to the hotel for afternoon tea, served in the bar. This was decorated a rich dark green, with beautiful ceilings!
"To start our tea, we were each provided with a book which displayed and described each tea on offer. The small tea containers could be opened so that the tea could be sensed. We each selected a different tea. Both were served in glass pots, and each was true to its description and quite delicious!
"The afternoon tea offered a range of sandwiches, sausage rolls, individual quiches, two scones with jam and cream and a selection of cakes and tarts and the Cairndale Eton Mess. The sandwiches each had a little something extra – the smoked salmon and cream cheese for example had capers added, while the egg and cress used watercress. The sausage rolls were filled with sausage meat with black pudding so were tasty; the quiches had beetroot added in, which to me didn’t harmonise with the feta and red pepper but were nevertheless tasty. The scones were light and the olive cake moist."
Spa
The Cairndale Spa is Scotland’s newest 5 Bubble Luxury destination, awarded by The Good Spa Guide. Nestled in the heart of Dumfries & Galloway, it offers a serene retreat for both locals and visitors, just 90 minutes from Glasgow Airport.
Ideal for wellness getaways, the spa features a thermal pool, rasul, saunas, steam room and private bathing suites, alongside luxurious treatments in six rooms. A café and juice bar complete the experience.
Exclusively for adults, The Cairndale Spa partners with top British brands like Tribe517, GAIA, and Voya, providing a rejuvenating escape for mind, body, and spirit.
Facilities
"We were warmly welcomed by the receptionist, who escorted us to the Spa located at the rear of the hotel. The Spa reception was presented in whites and greens with touches of wood, with the glass panelling to the adjoining café giving a Japanese feel. A range of spa treatments were on display with the opportunity to try or buy.
The Spa receptionist provided us with a Cairndale Spa hessian bag each, complete with towel, robe and slippers for us to use during our visit. The bag was waterproof and was offered as an easy way to transport towels, etc. around the spa during our visit. We were shown the changing rooms, and given instructions on how to use the lockers, although these were clearly marked on the inside of each door.
In the changing rooms there were multiple banks of lockers, each with an upholstered bench in front, a private changing room, a couple of showers and three toilets, and wash basins with mirrors, and a laundry cupboard for used towels and robes.
The robes were unusual in that they were a rich green with gold piping and generous in their sizing and length, and a luxurious thickness. The slippers were also green and gold and a good fit for my large feet!
Suitably attired, Katie, the receptionist then took us down into the Spa and introduced us to our Spa hostess, who then gave us a tour of the Spa facilities.
There was a larger reception area with chairs and tables and sofas for relaxing. Adjoining this was a separate area with four waterbeds for individual rest and relaxation. These were tried out later and found to be extremely comfortable and supportive for the body.
In the corner of the large room was the Herbal Lounge, a sauna complete with wooden swing seats. Care was needed when sitting in these as they did swing back, but they were comfortable and relaxing with the gentle swinging motion. The temperature in here was 45 degrees, so a gentle introduction to extra heat.
Each facility has a clear brass name plate with a summary of the benefits from the treatment room and advice on the length of time it should be used for.
Treatment rooms
On our visit, the Herbal Steam room was infused with eucalyptus and mint. It had large grey tiles walls and seating area. The herbs were refreshing and helped to clear the nasal passages as well as relax muscles.
"The Aroma Steam room was infused with Jasmine and neroli and with its dark but iridescent mosaic tiles was very relaxing. It was a little cooler than the Herbal Steam room.
There were two saunas – the infra-red sauna and the Himalayan Sea salt sauna. The infra-red was cooler than the Himalayan, but still warm. The Himalayan was a large room with pine benches at multiple levels, and Himalayan salt crystals built into some of the walls.There were a number of private treatment rooms that could be booked individually or as a couple – the Rasul room, for the therapeutic benefits of dead sea minerals, mud and steam to exfoliate and cleanse the skin and remove toxins from the body; the Hammam room with Turkish inspired treatments of bubbles and exfoliation before a relaxing massage; and the Seaweed bath room, for the benefits of seaweed imported from Ireland.
"In addition to all these warm treatments, there was a Cairndale Dook, that continuously replenished a mound of ice cubes that could be applied to your face and body after treatments to close pores and cool down. There was also a small cold (icy) plunge pool for those who wanted to try an ice bath.
The pool itself had an adjoining circular jacuzzi bath and was surrounded by egg shaped chairs and loungers for relaxation. The pool was pleasantly warm and had three different fountains with hard, medium and a gentle spray effect of water, useful for massaging tight shoulders or back muscles. In addition, there were a couple of jacuzzi areas at the side of the pool with a bench seat under water, to sit and enjoy bubbles and relax.
The pool and jacuzzi were tiled with the same dark but iridescent mosaic tiles as the Aroma Steam room and had a dark glass ceiling that added to the calm atmosphere.
Treatments
After lunch Phil returned to the pool area, while I started my treatments. I had belatedly booked a facial and this had been fitted in with my Angels share massage. Katie advised that the treatments were being done in a different order, so that the benefits of my facial would not be lost when my back was massaged! She clearly explained how she was going to move around the body, and what was going to happen in the facial. She asked if there were any areas that needed particular attention, and what level of pressure I would prefer.
The Angel massage was very relaxing, starting at the left foot and leg, moving up the back and left arm. Across the shoulders and down the right side of the body/ The facial was a great experience too with the warm cloths used to wipe the face just the right temperature.
Meanwhile, Phil had a hot stone massage where several knots were found in his shoulders and the tension released leaving him feeling quite relaxed. The hot stones helped to relax his muscles at a deeper level and certainly helped with release and relaxation.
After our treatments we were provide with information and recommendations as to the products used and those that would be of benefit.
We were then led to a relaxation room tastefully decorated with dried flowers and dark colours. The beds were adjustable and allowed the upper and lower parts to be raised or lowered so that a comfortable position could be found. Blankets were provided and refreshments were available.
The changing rooms had showers with gel, shampoo and conditioner; a private changing area, lockers with benches and hairdryers.
My only disappointment was there was no facility for wringing out my costume, and the changing room did become a little crowded with six people in there at once.
Nevertheless, a fabulous experience and a perfect post-round treat!"
Play
Golf
The Dumfries and County Golf Club is only a 4-minute drive from the Cairndale! It offers a unique golfing experience for players of all ages and skill levels. The yellow tees are par 69, the red tees par 72. The 18-hole parkland course is designed to challenge even the most experienced golfer while providing an enjoyable and rewarding experience for beginners. The course is surrounded by beautiful scenery, making it an ideal spot for a day of golfing.
The many visitors to the course pass comment on the number of trees and the difficulty attached thereto, and the number of blind tee shots. However, the most consistent response from visitors and our members is one of appreciation for the quality of the greens (USGA standard).
"After breakfast, we set off for Dumfries and County Golf Club, just a short drive away. We received a warm welcome for the professional, from the steward and from the members. We were following a men’s medal competition, and the gentlemen we met on the first tee couldn’t have been more helpful in describing the first couple of holes for us.
The course is a beautiful parkland course with each hole different to the last. It was dry and running well, and one of the greens at the top of a short hill proved difficult to land on and stay on for us! The competition in front was played at a good pace, so we were never held up. A good game all round!"
Though not listed in the Top 100 Courses in Scotland, if you want to visit a couple of other courses during your trip, the first (Southerness) and third (Powfoot) rated courses in Dumfries and Galloway are only a short drive away.
Acitivities
Dumfries, ‘the Queen of the South’, is a historic country town, famed for its connection with Scotland’s National Bard Robert Burns.
There are spectacular walks and mountain biking trails if you venture into The Galloway Hills, The Southern Upland Way, The Moffat Hills – or the famous 7 Stanes mountain biking trails.
If you’re interested in outdoor pursuits, there is also paint-balling, falconry, archery, fishing, alpaca trekking, 4×4 driving, clay-pigeon shooting, and mountain balling (or “Zorbing”). The hotel will be delighted to help you arrange something!
Member Verdict
Do you need a better excuse to stay and play golf in Scotland? Great golfing and spa facilities, fantastic accommodation, and excellent food.
You can stay for a short or long golfing getaway. It is also a great place to stay en route to some of the excellent golf courses in Cumbria or the West of Scotland.
It’s a ‘yes’ from Valerie!
LATEST OFFER
"Golfer's Remedy"
Golfers given muscle power at Scotland’s newest Spa
Scotland’s newest destination Spa is helping golfers get back into the swing with customised treatments aimed at easing some of their most common ailments.
The Cairndale Hotel in Dumfries, which books thousands of rounds on courses in South West Scotland each year, has added dedicated massages to its therapies’ array following the launch of the £2m adults-only development in the Summer.
Its “Golfers’ Remedy”package includes a 30 minute Muscle Release Back, Neck and Shoulder massage, and 30 minute Pressure Point Foot Massage.
“These are physical problems often reported by both men and women golfers,” said Spa Manager Claire Primrose. “We’re tailoring a few of our treatments to tackle their aches and pains and get them back to par.”
For many years The Cairndale has worked closely with courses in Dumfries and Galloway including Southerness, Dumfries and County, Lochmaben and Powfoot. It has its own Golf Co-ordinator.
Its 1,300 square metre Spa includes a thermal pool with a variety of jets, water blades and airbeds, mud Rasul, aroma steam room, Himalayan salt and infrared saunas, herbal lounge, Double Hammam (the first in Scotland), seafood bathing, ice pool and private bathing suite. It has six treatment rooms.
Click for full golf brochure
The “Golfers’ Remedy” package costs £119 from Monday to Thursday and £139 from Friday to Sunday, and includes an hour’s access to the Spa facilities before an hour of treatments.
For more information
call 01387-254111
or
email [email protected]
Cairndale Hotel & Spa, English Street, Dumfries DG1 2DF
Travel Time (approx.) driving from
- Birmingham: 230 miles - 4hr
- Bristol: 310 miles - 5hr 15 minutes
- Edinburgh: 80 miles - 2hr
- London (North): 335 miles - 5hr 50 minutes
- Manchester: 130 miles - 2hr 35 minutes
