The Dunstane - #TeamDunstane Tour of Brodies 1867

Brodies1867 was established in 1867 by Mr Brodie, Mr Melrose and Mr Drysdale, three enterprising Scottish tea traders and has been producing the finest teas and coffees for almost 150 years now. They say practise makes perfect and #TeamDunstane took a trip to the factory to find out how this perfection is achieved! To start the tour they were given a brief history of the company, which has an amazing history. For starters, in 1892 Mr Drysdale was credited with being the first UK tea manufacturer to produce a breakfast tea...I know many people who would not be functioning at 100% Monday to Friday if it wasn't for Mr Drysdale's creation! This blend is stocked in all our rooms so make sure you try it when you're here! Their next big achievement was the creation of the most popular Brodie's blend, 'Famous Edinburgh' which hasn't changed from the original (and closely guarded) blend since 1928 when it was created.


Over the years Brodie's have been at the forefront of development, experimentation and fashion in the tea and coffee industry, it's easy to see why. During a tour of the factory by the Managing Director, the team saw something familiar in the employees they met - a strong sense of pride, passion and dedication to the work they were doing, Something that we're also very proud of here at The Dunstane too. The tour of the factory was hugely insightful, explaining the roasting process, getting the team involved in feeling the texture of the beans at each stage and helping them to understand what goes into making that cup of coffee they serve guests every day in Skerries.

A treat was in store for them as not only were they learning about coffee, they also go to taste some of Brodie's incredible whisky chaser chocolates - even if you don't like whisky you need to try these, they are divine! I think you'll agree the team look pretty fetching in their hairnets!

But it wasn't all serious, there was a lot of fun to be had too. A coffee making race started between Front of House Manager, Dayne and Food and Beverage Manager, Miguel. The competitive spirit of The Dunstane was out in force and after a hard fought race the winner was....#TeamMiguel! Though I think #TeamDayne will be asking for a rematch in the future, perhaps it'll even become an annual event!! Either way the whole day was well worth it and the team at The Dunstane now have a much better appreciation for the tea and coffee they are serving and its opened up a new topic for guest interaction too.

If you can't wait until your next visit to The Dunstane to try Brodie1867's blends have a look at their mail order catalogue here - http://bit.ly/1OYyRqO. Also we recommend liking their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/brodies1867) as there are often great competitions running! Otherwise we look forward to welcoming you to Skerries or for an overnight stay in one of our gorgeous rooms!

Royal Highland Show 2015

Here at The Dunstane Hotel we get very excited at this time of year. Well, to be fair we're always excited about something going on in Edinburgh, but the Royal Highland Show (18th-21st June 2015) gives the city a special buzz! Our luxurious rooms are booked up by exhibitors and visitors alike, all needing a peaceful place to relax and a good dinner in our Skerries restaurant after a busy day. With over 5,000 livestock being exhibited and around 180,000 visitors at the show the show is almost unrecognisable from its humble beginnings in the Canongate area of Edinburgh.

First held in December 1822 and it showcased just 60-75 cattle, 8 sheep and according to The Scotsman at the time, "two beautiful pigs"! The Royal family have had a keen interest in the show since the early 1900's and Queen Victoria started a long line of Royal patrons of the show. George VI, father of current patron, Her Majesty The Queen, bestowed the title of Royal to the show in 1948. For 130 years the show moved between Edinburgh, Glasgow

and Perth until it found a permanent home at Ingliston in 1960. This year is the 175th Royal Highland Show and it already looks like it will be an especially busy year for both Royal Highland Show and The Dunstane!

The Highland Show really does have something for everyone. You definitely need at least a full day to get round everything, even if you're not in the agriculture business you can't help but appreciate the quality of the livestock from the gentle giants of the equine world to champion dairy cows. Of course, the Highlands are not complete without Scotland's most famous livestock the - Highland "Coo"! If after all that livestock is still not impressing, well the Royal Highland Show exhibitors have a lot more to throw at you!

If you fancy a laugh be sure to catch the terrier racing or for something with more of a'wow factor' there are incredible falconry displays or catch the Show Jumping to see the bond between horse and rider at it's best. There's plenty for the kids to get involved with too, getting up close to some of the animals, take a ride on a tractor or get creative and put those little hands to good use in the craft tent. There is a whole shopping area and of course no event like this would be complete without the Food Hall!


So we need to stop now, if we tell you everything that's happening not only would we run out of space to type, but it would spoil the surprise! Rooms book up fast at The Dunstane so give us a call soon and we'd love to see your pictures and hear about your experiences at the Royal Highland Show 2015, get in touch on our facebook page www.facebook.com/dunstanehotels or on twitter @The Dunstane 



For details and tickets for the Highland Show visit http://royalhighlandshow.org/

Skerries at The Dunstane launches a new menu with a brand new chef for 2015!

Skerries New Menu & New Chef - exciting changes!

Here at The Dunstane, we are well known for our constant changes and improvements and January 2015 has been no different in our special boutique Edinburgh hotel. With so many exciting events happening this year, such as the upcoming Six Nations Rugby at Murrayfield, Open Golfing Events in July, the Highland Show in June and of course the countless Edinburgh Festivals throughout the year - we thought we would kick start 2015 with a brand new menu for Skerries.




We opened on Friday and so far the new dishes have gone down a treat. New Chef Paul Hood has come on board with fresh new ideas and a fantastic back ground in fine restaurants around Scotland to take on the challenge of presenting the best produce that Orkney and Shetland have to offer to the Edinburgh diners! Don't miss out - Book your table here!

This year - Skerries has gone back to it's roots with a focus on sourcing our produce from the extensive larder of the northern Islands of Scotland. With dishes such as 8oz, 28 Day Matured Orkeny Rib Eye Steak with hand cut chips and Portobello Mushroom, Glazed Belly of Orkney Pork and a Trio of Orkney Salmons we are bringing the taste of Orkney to Edinburgh with a bang!

All our desserts continue to be home made - with new additions of a Pear and Frangipane Tart as well as the usual Orkney Cheese board. They are so popular we will be constantly reviewing and updating them. New dishes will be added to the menu every 2 weeks and daily specials will mean there is always something new for you to try during your stay.

This year we have some new short breaks in Edinburgh for you to make the most of your stay with us - sample our food, stay in our luxurious bedrooms and visit Scotland's vibrant capital - all for a specially discounted rate at The Dunstane. Our Big Freeze break incorporates all of this as well as hand selected Prosecco and hand made Scottish Chocolates waiting for you in your room on arrival. Or come and stay in Spring and make the most of dinner with us and a free upgrade to one of our fabulous Deluxe rooms with our Spring Break! 

Coming up over the next few months we have lots of exciting days planned where you can come along with the whole family or a loved one to try our great food! Treat that special someone to a Valentine's Dinner with us - we also have plans for Mother's Day and Easter Sunday coming up! Stay tuned for our offers and events. Book now!