Scottish Ballet lifts the curtain on Crossbasket Castle hotel
Dancers from Scottish Ballet have helped celebrate the transformation of the 14th century Crossbasket Castle in High Blantyre, near Glasgow, into a luxury hotel.
The nine-bedroom hotel opened yesterday following a performance of Swan Lake from Scottish Ballet soloists Constance Devernay and Andrew Peasgood - choreographed by David Dawson - in front of the castle and inside the hotel's grand ballroom.
Steve Timoney, chief executive of Lochlane Investments, and his wife Alison Reid-Timoney bought Crossbasket Castle in 2011, a year after it was listed on Scotland's Buildings At Risk Register. They have since invested over £9m restoring the building to its former glory and added the ballroom, overlooking the waterfalls on the River Calder, for up to 250 guests.
Alison Reid-Timoney said: "We have poured our hearts and souls into the restoration of Crossbasket Castle.
"As locals, we have loved seeing the castle's transformation over the past five years and we are very excited to now be able to share it with the community. We hope to attract visitors from far and wide to share the castles fairy-tale with them."
She added that ballet star had helped "to capture the magic of the castle and make the opening special for us".
Crossbasket Castle is managed by luxury hotel management company Inverlochy Castle Management International (ICMI), which operates 12 other independent properties around Scotland, including Inverlochy Castle, near Fort William, Greywalls Hotel in Gullane and Andy Murray's Cromlix House, near Dunblane..
Norbert Lieder, ICMI's managing director, said: "The Timoneys have done an outstanding job transforming Crossbasket Castle into a luxury getaway.
"We have already experienced huge interest from local people, corporate clients and prospective brides and grooms and look forward to working with the Timoneys and making Crossbasket Castle a success."
The hotel's restaurant is overseen by chefs Albert Roux and his son Michel Roux Jnr. It is the first time the duo have collaborated in Scotland, although Albert Roux is already involved in five other restaurants across the ICMI portfolio.
The Roux family's portfolio of restaurants includes the two-starred Le Gavroche, Roux at the Landau and Roux Parliament Square.
The two hotels are part of the Inverlochy Castle Management International (ICMI) collection, which already hosts five Albert Roux-led restaurants across its portfolio, including at Andy Murray's Cromlix House near Dunblane and the Roxburghe near Kelso.
Three Roux generations to open two Scotland Inverlochy Castle restaurants >>
Luxury hotel emerges from ruined castle >>