Castle hotel
Schloss Roxburghe Golf Resort
Heiton, near Kelso, Scottish Borders
Level 4 Castle-Style MansionLevel 4: a Category B Scottish Jacobean mansion built in 1853, with no defensive history. Most bedrooms are in later wings, though 20 rooms are in the original house.
Some rooms inside the walls
Check prices and availability (opens in a new tab)
We may earn a commission if you book. It doesn't change our ratings. How we earn money
Schloss Roxburghe Golf Resort is a castle-style hotel in the Scottish Borders, built around an 1853 Jacobean mansion on the former Sunlaws estate near Kelso. At Level 4 on the Castle Authenticity Scale, it suits golfers, spa guests and dog owners rather than visitors seeking a true medieval castle.
Quick facts
- Castle Authenticity Scale
- Level 4: Castle-Style Mansion
- Where you sleep
- Some rooms inside the walls
- Built
- 1853, rebuilt and enlarged in 1885 and 1886 after a fire
- Architecture
- Scottish Jacobean mansion house
- Heritage status
- Category B listed (Sunlaws Hotel and Gatepiers, LB15101)
- Rooms
- 78
- Star rating
- Five-star (Booking.com)
- Guest rating
- 8.9 out of 10 on Booking.com (September 2026)
- Dogs
- £30 per night per dog in the Historic Manor, Estate House and cottages, including a bed, bowl and treat. Not allowed in the Sunlaws restaurant or Bar 1745. Service dogs are exempt from the fee. (hotel policy)
- Restaurant
- Yes (hotel website)
- Weddings
- Yes (hotel website)
- Listed on Booking.com
- Golf
- Last checked
- September 2026
The story
The story of Schloss Roxburghe Golf Resort
Schloss Roxburghe Golf Resort occupies the site of Sunlaws House, on an estate south of Kelso in the Scottish Borders. Historic Environment Scotland lists the building, recorded in the register as Sunlaws Hotel and Gatepiers, as a Category B structure designed in 1853 by the Edinburgh architect David Rhind. A fire in 1885 destroyed much of the interior, and the Edinburgh architect John Watherston rebuilt and enlarged the house in 1885 and 1886, adding the octagonal turret and the Gothic stair hall that still stand today.
The estate takes its name from the Kerr family, who held land at Sunlaws from the early 17th century. According to the hotel's own history pages, Bonnie Prince Charlie stayed at Sunlaws on the night of 5 November 1745, during the Jacobite rising, and planted a white rose there, a story the hotel still tells guests. The Duke of Roxburghe bought Sunlaws Estate in 1969 and later converted the house into the Roxburghe Country House Hotel.
In 2018 the German investment group 12.18. Investment Management bought the hotel and its golf course from the Duke, added a large new wing, and reopened the resort as SCHLOSS Roxburghe in 2019. In 2023 the property became part of Hyatt's Destination by Hyatt collection, while keeping its original 1853 mansion at the centre of the estate.
The sleep
Rooms at Schloss Roxburghe Golf Resort
Rooms are split across two buildings. The Historic Manor, the 1853 mansion itself, holds 20 rooms and suites, including Castle Deluxe Rooms from 28 square metres and first-floor Castle Junior Suites with four-poster beds. Rooms here have ceilings over three metres with decorative stucco, and several keep open fireplaces from the original house.
The Estate House is a separate, modern building with 58 rooms and suites, among them 76 square metre Estate Suites with canopy beds and freestanding bathtubs, and smaller King Bed Estate rooms of 24 square metres overlooking the golf course or parkland. The resort also lets 51 self-catering cottages elsewhere on the estate.
If sleeping inside the 1853 mansion matters to you, book a room in the Historic Manor and say so when you book, since most of the resort's bedrooms are in the newer Estate House or in the cottages.
The table
Eating at Schloss Roxburghe Golf Resort
The main restaurant, Sunlaws, holds 3 AA Rosettes and occupies part of the Historic Manor. Charlie's and Bar 1745 offer more informal food and drink elsewhere on the estate. Dogs may join you in most of the resort but are not allowed inside the Sunlaws restaurant or in Bar 1745, so plan meals accordingly if you are travelling with a dog. A doggy menu is available for the other outlets, and a dog-washing shower is fitted in the Gun Room.
The grounds
Around Schloss Roxburghe Golf Resort
The resort sits on about 300 acres beside the River Teviot, with woodland and riverside paths open to guests and, on a lead, their dogs. The championship golf course was designed by Dave Thomas and opened in 1997, and the estate also runs country sports such as fishing and shooting. A 600 square metre spa has an outdoor heated infinity pool alongside its indoor treatment rooms.
The estate lies near Heiton, a few miles from the market town of Kelso, and the resort's own materials put it at about an hour's drive from both Edinburgh and Newcastle.
What we'd flag
What we'd flag
- Most bedrooms are in the modern Estate House rather than the 1853 mansion, so ask for a Historic Manor room if staying in the older building matters to you.
- Dogs cost £30 a night, which covers a bed, bowl and treat, but they cannot go into the Sunlaws restaurant or Bar 1745.
- The self-catering cottages are separate buildings on the estate, not rooms inside the main house.
Who it's for
Who Schloss Roxburghe Golf Resort suits
This suits golfers using the Roxburghe course, spa visitors, and dog owners who want estate walks alongside the River Teviot. It also suits couples and small groups looking for a country house wedding venue with a purpose-built banqueting suite. It is not the place for guests who want to sleep inside a genuine medieval castle, since the 1853 mansion was always a country house rather than a fortification.
Also on these lists
Schloss Roxburghe Golf Resort: questions
Is Schloss Roxburghe Golf Resort a real castle?
No. Historic Environment Scotland lists the main building as a Category B Scottish Jacobean mansion, designed in 1853 by David Rhind and rebuilt after an 1885 fire. It was built as a country house, not a defensive castle, which is why the resort sits at Level 4 on the Castle Authenticity Scale.
Who built Sunlaws House, the original building at Schloss Roxburghe?
The current house was designed in 1853 by the Edinburgh architect David Rhind for the Kerr family, who had held the Sunlaws estate since the early 17th century. After a fire in 1885, the Edinburgh architect John Watherston rebuilt and enlarged it, adding the octagonal turret seen today.
Are dogs allowed at Schloss Roxburghe?
Yes. Dogs are welcome in the Historic Manor, Estate House and self-catering cottages for £30 a night, which includes a bed, bowl and treat. They are not allowed inside the Sunlaws restaurant or Bar 1745, and must be kept on a lead around the estate.
Can you get married at Schloss Roxburghe?
Yes. The resort has a purpose-built banqueting suite for weddings, set on a 300-acre estate beside the River Teviot in the Scottish Borders. The estate also includes a championship golf course, opened in 1997, and a 600 square metre spa, both of which can form part of a wedding stay.
Do all the rooms at Schloss Roxburghe sit inside the historic mansion?
No. Only 20 rooms and suites are in the 1853 Historic Manor. The other 58 rooms are in the modern Estate House, and 51 self-catering cottages stand elsewhere on the estate, so most stays are not inside the historic building.
Sources and checks
Last checked: September 2026. We checked these sources for this page. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
- portal.historicenvironment.scot: listed building category, listing name, build date 1853, architect David Rhind, 1885-86 rebuild by John Watherston, building description
- schlosshotel-roxburghe.com: Sunlaws estate history, Kerr family, 1745 white rose legend, Duke of Roxburghe purchase 1969, golf course opening 1997, 2018 sale and 2019 reopening, Hyatt affiliation from 2023
- schlosshotel-roxburghe.com: dog fee, what is included, where dogs may walk, service dog exemption
- schlosshotel-roxburghe.com: Estate House room count and room types, room sizes
- schlosshotel-roxburghe.com: Historic Manor room count, room types, ceiling height and stucco, fireplaces
- schlosshotel-roxburghe.com: total accommodation breakdown, restaurant names and Sunlaws AA Rosette rating, spa size and infinity pool, wedding banqueting suite, address