Castle hotel
Cringletie House
Peebles, Scottish Borders
Level 4 Castle-Style MansionLevel 4: rebuilt around 1863 by architect David Bryce with corner turrets in his baronial style, replacing a 1666 house, with no defensive history. Most bedrooms are in this Victorian house.
Some rooms inside the walls
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Cringletie House is a castle-style hotel near Peebles in the Scottish Borders, rebuilt around 1863 by architect David Bryce with turrets but no defensive history. It is Level 4 on our scale, with most of its 15 rooms in the Victorian house and a separate self-catering cottage on the estate. It suits couples and diners wanting a Borders country house with a walled garden.
Quick facts
- Castle Authenticity Scale
- Level 4: Castle-Style Mansion
- Where you sleep
- Some rooms inside the walls
- Built
- Circa 1863 (replacing an earlier house of 1666)
- Architecture
- Scottish Baronial style with corner turrets, designed by architect David Bryce
- Heritage status
- Grade B listed (since 1971)
- Rooms
- 15
- Bedrooms
- 15
- Star rating
- Four-star (Booking.com)
- Guest rating
- 9.3 out of 10 on Booking.com (September 2026)
- Dogs
- Listed as allowed on Booking.com; check the rules
- Restaurant
- Yes (hotel website)
- Weddings
- Yes (hotel website)
- Listed on Booking.com
- EV charging point, Restaurant, Family rooms, Parking, Free wifi, Accessible rooms
- Last checked
- September 2026
The story
The story of Cringletie House
The first Cringletie House was built in 1666 for the second eldest son of Sir Alexander Murray of Black Barony after he received a Crown charter that year, according to the hotel's own history page. That original building deteriorated over the following two centuries.
Around 1863, Brigadier General James Wolfe Murray commissioned the Scottish architect David Bryce to design a replacement, according to the hotel's own site. Bryce gave the new house small corner turrets on its top floor, a feature typical of his baronial designs elsewhere in Scotland. Historic Scotland gave Cringletie House Grade B listed status in 1971, and its walled garden was listed separately.
The estate passed through several owners in the 20th century, including the Sutherland family from 1904 and Stanley and Aileen Maguire, who turned it into a country house hotel from 1971. It has been owned by Cross Hotels Limited since 2019, according to the hotel's own site.
The sleep
Rooms at Cringletie House
Cringletie House has 15 individually designed rooms and suites in the main house, some with turret features and fireplaces, according to the hotel's own site. A separate two-bedroom, two-bathroom self-catering cottage called Ardean also sits on the estate.
Guests who want to sleep inside the Victorian house designed by David Bryce should book one of the main house rooms rather than the Ardean cottage, which is a separate building on the grounds.
The table
Eating at Cringletie House
The Sutherland Restaurant holds two AA Rosettes and was named Hotel Dining Experience of the Year in 2019 by the Hotel Awards, according to the hotel's own site. It serves lunch, dinner and afternoon tea using locally sourced ingredients.
The grounds
Around Cringletie House
The estate covers 28 acres and includes a walled garden dating from 1666, a one-mile nature and historical trail, pitch-and-putt golf, croquet, boules and outdoor chess, according to the hotel's own site. Peebles is about 35 minutes by road from Edinburgh.
Cringletie House hosts weddings, conferences and other events, according to its own site.
What we'd flag
What we'd flag
- The Ardean cottage is a separate self-catering building on the estate, not part of the 1863 house. Ask for a room in the main house if the historic building matters to you.
Who it's for
Who Cringletie House suits
Cringletie House suits couples and food-focused travellers wanting a Borders country house with a notable restaurant and historic gardens. It also suits groups who want the separate Ardean cottage for self-catering. It is less suited to guests looking for a medieval or genuinely defensive castle, since the current building is a Victorian baronial house.
Where Cringletie House is.
Map tiles from OpenStreetMap.
Also on these lists
Similar stays nearby
Level 5 True Castle
Dalhousie Castle
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Some rooms inside the walls
- Dogs allowed
- Restaurant
- Family rooms
Level 4 Castle-Style Mansion
Cornhill Castle
Coulter, near Biggar, South Lanarkshire
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- Restaurant
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Cringletie House: questions
Is Cringletie House a real castle?
No. The current house was rebuilt around 1863 by architect David Bryce in a baronial style with corner turrets, replacing an earlier 1666 house. It was built as a private residence, not a fortification, so it counts as a castle-style mansion rather than a true castle.
Who designed Cringletie House?
Brigadier General James Wolfe Murray commissioned Scottish architect David Bryce to design the current house around 1863, according to the hotel's own site, giving it the small corner turrets typical of Bryce's work.
Is Cringletie House a listed building?
Yes. Historic Scotland gave it Grade B listed status in 1971, and its walled garden, which dates from 1666, was listed separately, according to the hotel's own site.
Can you get married at Cringletie House?
Yes. The hotel hosts weddings, conferences and other celebrations, according to its own site.
Sources and checks
Last checked: September 2026. We checked these sources for this page. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- cringletie.com: location, 28-acre estate, 15 rooms, Ardean cottage, restaurant name and awards, walled garden, outdoor amenities, weddings
- cringletie.com: 1666 original house, 1863 rebuild by David Bryce, Grade B listing in 1971, ownership history through 2019