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Regional Venue Focus Magazine Feature, Spring 2005 – ‘That’s Edutainment’

Address:	Gleneagles Hotel, Auchterarder, Perthshire
Tel	01764 662231
Fax:	01764 662134
Email:	Contact by email
Website:	Visit their website

Regional Venue Focus Magazine Feature, Spring 2005 – ‘That’s Edutainment’ Information:

Name your game and we bet Gleneagles has the tutorage covered – as Graham Hill discovers, this place is not just about golf

As the world’s most iconic golfing destination and the home of no less than three championship courses (the venue for the 2014 Ryder Cup included), Gleneagles is inescapably synonymous with Scotland’s favourite game. But while golfers, be they amateur or professional, are certainly well catered for – a Pitch & Put and Golf Academy with state-of-the-art swing analysis add to the facilities – this huge resort offers equally impressive facilities for fans of other sports, all with an emphasis on learning.

There’s an equestrian centre for riding lessons; the Shooting School complex has a dozen different stands; expert fly-fishers are on hand to teach the tricks of catching trout and salmon; motoring enthusiasts can take instruction in off-road driving at the Land Rover centre (there’s a mini course for kids, who, by the way, are wonderfully catered for throughout the hotel). The British School of Falconry is also onsite, as are squash courts, tennis courts, a croquet lawn, an archery range, and trails for mountain biking and jogging. For afters, the spa and swimming pool complex are all you’d expect and more – and did we mention the shopping is pretty good too?

Best known as a five-star family destination, about 40 per cent of Gleneagles’ business is corporate. ‘The hotel works best when the occupancy is a 50/50 split between private and corporate guests,’ explains the operations director, Patrick Elsmie. He is keen to point out that the resort offers a perfect environment for ‘edutainment’ whatever the purpose of your visit. Looking back at the impressions that stand out from our visit – enjoyment, experience, education – this concept makes perfect sense.

Those who want to throw a bit of business into the mix as well can take it as read that the conference facilities are also top-notch (why else would the G8 Summit be heading here this coming July?). The Gleneagles Suite, for instance, can accommodate 360 delegates and has impressive AV facilities, while the semi-circular Glendevon boasts huge bay windows and a terrace that looks out across the lawns. Most meeting rooms enjoy lots of natural daylight and there’s a suitably lustrous ballroom for evening entertainment. It is also worth noting that the 59-bedroom Braid House wing (opened in autumn 2002) has meeting rooms and can be booked for exclusive use.

In terms of logistics, Gleneagles is not much more than a half-hour drive from Edinburgh Airport. So, with affordable flights readily available – ours, out of City Airport with Scotairways, was a breeze – it can often be easier to reach this Scottish Highland idyll on a Friday afternoon than negotiating traffic to a destination in the Home Counties. Bear in mind, too, that going that little bit further can help turn a trip into a treat.

Few visitors leave this place unimpressed. A group from Merrill Lynch Financial Advisors tell us they had ‘a simply wonderful incentive trip’, while Kiana Sigaroudinia echoes the views of many when she gushes: ‘I don’t think there’s anything that equals Gleneagles – and we’ve certainly looked!’ So, if you’re hunting for a five-star destination where guests can gain knowledge while having fun, look no further than Gleneagles. Come July, we predict the Prime Minister will be championing: ‘Edutainment, edutainment, edutainment!’

Fabulous food
Nobody leaves Gleneagles hungry (the resort has numerous exciting eating options) but, if it’s a gourmet experience you’re after, make sure you book a table at Andrew Fairlie’s eponymous restaurant. It matches unashamedly French, Michelin-starred cooking with the sophisticated surrounds of a black, masculine dining room. Stunning.