Gavin Englebrecht enjoys Scotland's Fair City in the comfort of The Parklands Hotel, with fine dining at its best

NEVER having visited Scotland's Fair City before, the prospect of spending a few days there sounded attractive. And an invitation from a four-star boutique hotel in the heart of Perth was one not to be turned down. As I got closer after three-hour drive from Newcastle my sense of expectation grew. And if first impressions count, the Parklands Hotel certainly made a good one.

Set back in terraced garden it exudes a touch of class. While from the outside the former Victorian town house retains its traditional charm, its venerable air gives gives way to a more contemporary feel inside.

I was greeted by friendly staff, who were courteous to a fault, without falling over themselves to help. I was quite happy to carry my to bags to the room and had I given the slightest hint I needed help I sensed they would have leapt into action.

Entering my room I was immediately struck by the tasteful decor, featuring mauve patterned curtains matched by the cushions, bedspread and fabric headboard; all balanced by dark-hued furniture. Clearly, a lot of thought had gone into the interior design.

Indeed each of the 15 rooms have been been decorated in their own distinctive style and all feature a Smart TV, free wifi, bedside digital radio, and USB charging port.

Looking out of the tall windows, I felt I was in the lap of luxury, surveying the world before me. There was no inkling of being in a city centre. Stretching out into distance is the spacious Low Inch Park, with walkers ambling by at an unhurried pace. And beyond the furtherest treeline, the River Tay.

The hotel was bought by Scott and Penny Edwards and his wife in 2003. They invested £200,000 in the first three years alone and have been making constant improvements to the establishment since - with £120,000 spent in refurbishment in the last five years alone.

The final stage of the hotel's overhaul was the installation of an outside dining area in the front courtyard.

The Parklands Hotel has won many awards over the years including being named Perth Hotel of the Year in 2014, Business Hotel of the Year in 2015 and regional finalist in Most Hospitable Hotel category of the Scottish Thistle Awards.

It has two meeting rooms and a lounge bar, providing an ideal venue for weddings and business meetings. It is also the perfect setting for couples looking for a romantic weekend.

If you take your food seriously, so do they. The hotel's 63 @ Parklands and No 1 The Bank are both overseen by Catering in Scotland Chef of the Year 2013 Graeme Pallister and run by head chef Mark Glancey.

No 1 The Bank is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week, featuring a brasserie-style menu, while 63 @ The Parklands is a dinner-only fine-dining option with 2 AA Rosettes - one of only two restaurants in Perth enjoying the accolade.

The other is the hotel's sister restaurant in 63 Tay, where Pallister is chef proprietor. Specialising in seasonal regional cuisine - his maxim is Local, Honest, Simple. So it was with a degree of some anticipation I made my way 63 Tay for the first evening's meal.

I was by myself, but did not feel lonely as I found myself surrounded by the busy and friendly buzz of couples, families and bigger dining parties. It was relaxed and elegant. My meal started with a liver pate and sour dough bread to fire up the taste buds, followed by butternut lime soup with croquets and then by white onion risotto, locally smoked haddock, Clava Brie and Shetland mussels.

The palate cleansers were just as enjoyable. For mains I was spoilt for choice: roast Perthshire pigeon ‘pastrami’, couscous, leg pastilla and Macadamia nut; baked Scrabster pollock, cheek n tail pie, Falkland farm lettuces & asparagus and Scotch Limousin beef fillet steak, ribeye steak or rack of Scotch hogget lamb. I decided to opt for the more unusual Orkney pig cheek, hock schnitzel, braised cabbage & white beans, which proved an absolutely hearty meal. The cheeks were succulent while the hock schnitzel adding just the right texture. Perfect.

As for the for the pistachio cake, blood oranges, white chocolate & pistachio ice cream . . . it was an absolute taste sensation. Coffee with a kick rounded off kick rounded off gastronomical experience that exceeded every expectation.

Since my visit I was informed the restaurant had been given a facelift, revealing a new menu concept and redecorated interior. The new a la carte menu introduces a casual dining concept to the award-winning restaurant.

Pallister says: "We opened 63 Tay Street 10 years ago, and we felt it was time to move on to next chapter.

"These transformations are in response to the expectations of our guests, who are often looking for a more relaxed experience. Of course, we are still producing the same high standard of dishes and service, but we now offer our guests more of a choice.

"There's a new buzz in the dining room, and that's exciting for me as a chef."

Pallister's menu remains replete with seasonal ingredients from local suppliers, and is supported by a daily-changing specials board, and a £45 tasting menu available for dinner.

My first evening ended with a stroll along the picturesque River Tay, before I settled in for night between Egyptian cotton sheets in king-sized bed, that was comfort personified.

Morning breakfast was taken in the conservatory, with the warmth of the staff's greeting matched by the glowing sun streaming in through the large bay windows. The selection included a wide variety of fruits, cereals and a cooked menu. I would recommend the Dunkeld smoked salmon egg and salmon.

There is much too see and do in Perth and its surrounds ..,. and so I hit the tourist trail. My first stop was the imposing pile that is Scone Palace. Next to a small unprepossessing chapel is a replica of the stone where all Scots kings were once enthroned.

After walking in the footsteps of kings and queens along the grounds broad avenues - popular with roaming bands of birdwatchers - a ventured further out of the city to Huntington Tower, which is itself steeped in history. Two towers built in the 15th and 16th century were later joined. It was where Mary Queen of Scots and her new husband Lord Darnley stayed stayed during the infamous rebellion by her half-brother, known as the Chaseabout Raid. Later, their son King James VI of Scotland (or I of Britain) was held captive here. One of the key attractions here are delicately painted ceilings dating to the 1540s.

If you are a military buff the Black Watch Museum is a must. Laid out in chronological order through 10 rooms within castle, it houses a fascinating variety of artefacts illustrating the history of the regiment, as well as a fine collection of paintings and photography. The Weeping Window display comprises 5,000 ceramic poppies.If shopping is your bent, there is no need to venture out of the city at all.

Feeling energetic I ended my day with a walk up Moncrieffe Hill, a wooded ridge on the south of Perth which takes in a string of Iron Age hill forts and has panoramic views extending to the stunning Lomond Hills in the distance.

The second evening I dined in the No 1 The Bank Bistro, enjoying a "Seriously Good Highland Venison" braised haunch

caramelised root vegetables & buttery mash. The poached Yorkshire rhubarb and marshmallow ice cream was quite divine, perfectly rounded off my last meal.

My abiding memories will be of warm hospitality, comfort and style. If you haven't been to Scotland's Fair City before it is well worth the visit . . . and naturally, the Parklands Hotel comes highly recommended.

TRAVEL FACTS

Parklands Hotel, 2 St Leonard’s Bank, Perth.

For more information visit www.theparklandshotel.com or call 01738 622451 for rates and availability.

For more on fine dining visit www.63taystreet.com