Melville Castle Hotel
Gilmerton Road, Dalkeith EH18 1AP Scotland
Lowest prices for your stay
US$384
Fully refundable before 08/06/23
No prepayment needed
US$384
Fully refundable before 08/06/23
No prepayment needed
Booking.comUS$383
TravelocityUS$384
Priceline
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About
#2 of 2 hotels in Dalkeith
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Melville Castle, once home to the influential Dundas family, is set within a 54 acre estate of wooded parkland on the picturesque banks of the river North Esk. Located just 20 minute drive from Edinburgh’s city center this luxurious castle offers the tranquillity of a country setting on the doorstep of this thriving city. The 33 classically styled bedrooms offer all the luxury & comfort you deserve and our friendly team will take pleasure in catering to all your requirements during your stay. The Castle provides Bed and Breakfast accommodation and there are a number of award winning and highly recommended restaurants within 5 minutes drive. At one time the hunting seat of Mary Queen of Scots, the Castle was commissioned by the first Viscount Melville in 1791 for entertaining, which it continues to do to this day. We have ample free parking and a frequent 24 hour bus service to Edinburgh from the bus stop at the Castle Gates.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Free breakfast
Taxi service
Conference facilities
Banquet room
Baggage storage
Non-smoking hotel
Parking
Wifi
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Meeting rooms
24-hour front desk
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Room features
Safe
Iron
Coffee / tea maker
Flatscreen TV
Bath / shower
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
Room types
Bridal suite
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
HOTEL STYLE
Historic Hotel
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Gilmerton Road, Dalkeith EH18 1AP Scotland
Getting there
Car HireSee all Dalkeith car hire
1295Reviews30Q+A100Room tips
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The castle is lovely. Erin arranged our wedding absolutely amazing Lady. Rich at the bar is also amazing and really made us feel welcome he is a wonderful host x we are having a wonderful time. Its a beautiful place.we will come back every anniversary ❤️
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Date of stay: May 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Just back from a lovely overnight stay at Melville Castle using a Gift voucher - overnight stay in Junior suite, 3 course dinner with wine and breakfast. From the moment we arrived until our departure staff were so friendly and attentive despite having two weddings this weekend. The castle and grounds are well kept and the room we had was very spacious with everything you need for a luxurious stay. Enjoyed a lovely walk in the amazing grounds. Food was exceptional and lots of history in the castle. Would definitely recommend for a luxury stay and visit to Edinburgh (centre easily accessible).
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 17 Apr 2023
Thank you for leaving us a five-star review Maddie. We're thrilled to hear you had a perfect stay with us and we hope to welcome you back again in the future. Best wishes, Melville Castle.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Don't even bother. Can't even take a reservation properly. Phoned and booked the table for afternoon tea twice already. To find out on the day that our reservation is not in their system. Luckily, I phoned both times on the day to check, so at least I saved me myself a trip.... It's still disappointing as we planned our day around this... Staff did not seem to care at all. JOKE. AVOID.
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 17 Apr 2023
Hello. We're sorry to hear you had issues booking with us. We've forwarded your comments to upper management so they can look into how we avoid experiences such as yours in the future. We hope you'll consider visiting us again sometime soon. Best wishes, Melville Castle.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lovely last minute two night stay bed and breakfast in a Scottish castle lovely setting and with rustic castle interior all traditional appearance. Bedroom was very spacious in a superior double. Hotel is very dog friendly. Staff all very friendly. Remote location but close to Edinburgh. Our booking deal was extra for the evening meal. The dining room was nice and the breakfast were nice apart from the Buffett on the last day which was only warm. Evening meal on the first night was nice the steak and chicken and the second we opted for the fish but found the batter uncooked. Overall a nice break would recommend. Suggestions dog waste bins in the grounds would be beneficial to dog owners Show less
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 17 Apr 2023
Thank you for taking the time to write us a review, and for choosing to stay with us. We're so pleased to hear you had a great time and thanks for providing us with some useful feedback about the waste bins. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back sometime soon. Best wishes, Melville Castle.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Delightful stay for two days/nights near my childhood home for a recent birthday treat. Room was large and airy, very comfortable with lovely view over the grounds and river. Staff very friendly & accommodating, especially Rachel on reception & Isabel in the restaurant. Dinner menu a bit limited (the haddock was superb) and the wine list is quite expensive. Certainly good value for money - recommended. My wife adds "this hotel is amazing - one of the nicest places I have ever stayed. I have only the loveliest, kindest things to say. Will be back."
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 17 Apr 2023
Thank you for taking the time to leave us a five-star review. The team will be delighted to know their warm welcome was noted and we really appreciate the kind words from you and your wife. We hope to see you here again soon. Best wishes, Melville Castle.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Afternoon tea x gift for my birthday and it was a total let down. Hotel was cold we were given a very average afternoon tea with dry sandwiches and mediocre cakes. And we were ignored after the delivery of the tea and just felt we were in the way. Certainly won’t plan on returning. And feel I cannot let the gift giver know how disappointed we were.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 17 Apr 2023
Hello. We're sorry to hear your afternoon tea experience was disappointing, but thank you for taking the time to write a review and let us know. We've forwarded your comments to upper management so they can look at improving the service, and we hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back sometime soon. Best wishes, Melville Castle.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We purchased 2 vouchers on the hotel website for “dinner,bed and breakfast + bottle of wine each night” at a significantly lower cost than the usual room price. If we had paid full price for the room, we would have been incredibly disappointed. The castle and surrounding grounds are truly beautiful and we received warm and friendly greetings on arrival at 12pm. As our assigned room had already been cleaned, we were lucky enough to be able to check in earlier than usual. We stayed in room 003 (junior suite) for 2 nights, which we felt that for the usual price, had a number of cosmetic issues: Pros of room: - very spacious room - Comfy large bed Cons of room: - missing headboard - Ripped curtains - Missing curtain pelmet with a strip of Velcro where pelmet should have been - Paint peeling in bathroom behind radiator - Paint splatter on staircase in room - Broken artwork behind sofa - Dated bathroom in need of modernisation - No fridge in room Evening meals were good, but the service in the restaurant needs improving. The staff were all very friendly but appeared to lack direction and service felt chaotic and disorganised. We were initially given “the wrong menu” for the d,b&b offer and this error was only picked up after we had ordered starters. Stuff were very apologetic and advised that we wouldn’t need to change our choice of starters but that there would be surcharge for ribeye steak (£20pp.) Mistakes happen and we were very understanding of this. On check-out at roughly 10am, as there was no one on reception, I had to hunt down a member of staff in the very busy breakfast room (I would advise you breakfast as early as possible to avoid the later rush). The general manager then appeared in a very flustered state to check us out. He handed over an invoice for £116, which was obviously a surprise to me (we were only expecting to pay the £40 for the steaks). I asked the manager to help me understand where these charges had come from and he was unable to do so. He just kept saying he would “look into it, investigate, and call me later” to discuss. I politely explained that I wanted to settle the matter before I left and I queried that perhaps the menu confusion had caused the unexpected charges? The manager then laughed out loud and then stated “this is not a surprise, they keep doing this..” Those words from the general manager speak volumes in my opinion. I left after paying the £40 as expected, but am still clueless as to why they tried to charge £116. All in all, we had a pleasant stay for what we paid. The hotel itself has great potential, but for a 4 star hotel, we do feel that improvements need to be made. Unlikely to return in future.…
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 17 Apr 2023
Hi Kyle, thank you for choosing to stay with and for writing such a thorough review. It's great to hear you enjoyed the look and location of the castle and the warm welcome from our staff. Nevertheless, thank you for sharing the aspects of your stay which you thought required some love and attention. Ensuring our guests have the best experience from the moment they arrive to the time that they leave is a top priority, so please allow us to apologise for the confusion you experienced on checking out. We hope to welcome you back to the castle in the future. Best wishes, Melville Castle.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
After reading the reviews we were looking forward to spending my birthday weekend here. The castle/hotel was lovely. Room very clean & authentic. We went for our complimentary drinks in the library bar, this was nice and the room was cosy. There wasn't a bar tender and you had to ask the reception lady each time you wanted a drink. The bar was littered with empty unwashed glasses ? We went for our evening meal.....the young waiter started to tell us what the specials of the day were but he admitted he couldn't pronounce one of them - so still don't know what it was ! We ordered a nice bottle of wine....waited asked again...when the young waiter eventually brought it he slammed it on the table....how unprofessional. Our food was very nice but the service was very poor. My hubby did mention it to a waitress who came at the end of our meal. She was very apologetic and said she wouldn't charge for the wine which was a nice gesture. Breakfast time we were asked for our room number and we waited to be asked if we wanted tea/coffee/toast....no we were invisible......waiter kept walking past and we couldn't get his attention. We left..... A lovely venue but the service certainly let's it down.....a few table manners/training required without a doubt. We won't be returning.…
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Date of stay: February 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 17 Apr 2023
Hello Janie. Thank you for taking the time to write us a review. It's great to hear you enjoyed your room and the chill out areas within the hotel but we're sorry you felt let down by the service you received by our staff. We're always working on improving our guest experience, and providing a warm welcome is very important to us, so please feel assured that your comments will taken on board. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you and your husband back again sometime soon. Best wishes, Melville Castle.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Beautiful Castle In Stunning Grounds . Check in was very welcoming and smooth ( by the assistant manager who’s name escapes me) just the correct amount off information given for our visit without being overwhelmed. Room was as expected, true old castle style. Lovely and clean . Beautifully warm and cozy. Didn’t eat in the Castle as we were meeting friends close by. Had a night-cap in the incredibly well stocked bar which was exactly what we needed at the end of the day. Had a fabulous nights sleep and then enjoyed a hearty perfectly cooked breakfast. The young chap who looked after us was very attentive and had a great sense of humour which we appreciated. Check out was , like check in, extremely smooth preformed by Emma who again like the assistant manager was a pleasure to deal with . Would definitely recommend this stunningly beautiful Castle .…
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip: Lots of parking in front of the castle.
Lots of places nearby to visit and so close to Edinburgh
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 26 Feb 2023
Huge thanks for your five star review. We are delighted your stay with us was so memorable. We pride ourselves on our warm, friendly and professional customer service and will be sure to pass your feedback onto the team. We hope to welcome you back to Melville Castle in the near future.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Had a lovley stay beautiful castle and stunning views, we were very lucky to be upgraded, very clean, staff friendly would love to visit again, maybe hire a car next time, we got the bus at the top of the drive number 3 bus only about 20 minutes away £1.80 each way they come very often Monday to Sunday.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Helpful
Response from Helen Laing, Marketing at Melville Castle Hotel
Responded 26 Feb 2023
Many thanks for your excellent review. We are so pleased you had such a lovely stay with us and that you would love to visit us again. We can't wait to welcome you back soon!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
PRICE RANGE
US$251 - US$482 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United KingdomScotlandMidlothianDalkeith
NUMBER OF ROOMS
33
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Claim Your ListingMELVILLE CASTLE HOTEL: UPDATED 2023 Reviews, Price Comparison and 1,093 Photos (Dalkeith, Scotland) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Melville Castle Hotel
Which popular attractions are close to Melville Castle Hotel?
Nearby attractions include War Memorial (1.1 km), St John And King Parks Church (1.2 km), and St David's Church (1.1 km).
What are some of the property amenities at Melville Castle Hotel?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Melville Castle Hotel?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Is parking available at Melville Castle Hotel?
Yes, free parking is available to guests.
What are some restaurants close to Melville Castle Hotel?
Conveniently located restaurants include Itihaas, Elginhaugh Farm, Dining & Carvery, and Esk Valley Table Table.
Does Melville Castle Hotel offer any business services?
Yes, it conveniently offers meeting rooms, a banquet room, and conference facilities.
Are there any historical sites close to Melville Castle Hotel?
Many travellers enjoy visiting Gilmerton Cove (2.9 km), Craigmillar Castle (5.1 km), and St Anthony's Chapel (7.1 km).
Does Melville Castle Hotel have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the park view available here.
Is Melville Castle Hotel accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access and reduced mobility rooms. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.