Venlaw Castle - Photo ©
Motmit, 1997
Venlaw Castle - Photo ©
Iain Lees, 10 August 2008
Venlaw Castle - Photo © Motmit, 1997 |
Venlaw Castle - Photo © Iain Lees, 10 August 2008 |
Venlaw Castle, also known as Smithfield Castle, lies north of Peebles on the Edinburgh Road in the Borders of Scotland. Since 1949 it has operated as a hotel.
The site was originally a 14th century fortification, founded by the Hay family. The medieval fortress was destroyed in the 18th and 19th centuries and reconstructed as a house. The original house was built on the site of the old Smithfield Castle in 1782, and is a baronial mansion with extensive grounds. It was enlarged in 1854. It is an excellent example of the Scottish Baronial style, and is set in 4 acres (1.6 ha) of gardens.
In 1948 new owners Alexander Cumming and his wife, Jean Brownlee intended to convert the property to a hotel but were unable to pay "development tax", levied on people turning a private house into a business. Cumming successfully fought to have the tax abolished, and his success is recorded in Hansard. Venlaw Castle Hotel opened in 1949 and remained in the family until 1997, when it was renamed Castle Venlaw Hotel. A refurbishment in 1999 means the hotel is now operated all year round. The hotel was bought by its current owners, PAG Hotels Ltd., in 2007.
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