Interview with Barry Makin

Mr. Makin, you are General Manager of the CROMLIX Hotel, a luxurious country house which opened 2014 at Kinbuck in Scotland and is a much sought-after, five-star destination.
What are the highlights of your hotel? And what time of the year is best to visit your hotel and the region?

Barry Makin: The CROMLIX hotel is set in 34 acres of beautiful Scottish countryside and woodland, so it’s a spectacular setting and perfect for unwinding. The whole hotel was totally refurbished last year and so we are blessed with very stylish interiors, and all the mod cons you would expect in a five-star luxury hotel. The summer is always very popular and despite what most people think, we can get some excellent weather in Scotland during the Summer months., but Autumn is also a great time to come – the scenery is stunning then and there is nothing like sitting beside a roaring fire and enjoying our famous afternoon teas when the weather starts to get a bit cooler.

„The CROMLIX hotel is set in 34 acres of beautiful Scottish countryside and woodland, so it’s a spectacular setting and perfect for unwinding.“

The style of your rooms is inspired by nature and its own curated mix of artwork, are luxurious and have country charm and embrace elegance. What kind of guests are at the CROMLIX?

Barry Makin: We have a real mix of guests to be honest. We get a lot of couples coming for a break, and multi-generational families coming to celebrate special occasions, but we also have single people, businessmen and women and we host weddings too – we actually have our own private chapel on site, so during the Summer we host a lot of weddings.

Owner of the hotel is Andy Murray, the famous tennis icon and US Open-, Olympic- and Wimbledon champion – and his wife Kim Murray. How is your work together for the daily business of the hotel? 

Barry Makin: Yes, we are very lucky to have Andy Murray and his wife Kim as owners of the hotel. They have owned the hotel since 2013 but for ten years it was run by a management company. Last year, they took the hotel back into self-management, and so now are much more involved. Kim managed the refurbishment last year, and she is involved in the overall direction, marketing and branding of the hotel. She comes up often. Andy isn’t as involved right now, because he’s still playing a full Tennis competition schedule, but he plans to get more involved once he has retired.

„Yes, we are very lucky to have Andy Murray and his wife Kim as owners of the hotel. „

Andy grew up near Dunblane and therefore he has a strong commitment to the area and to the CROMLIX in particular. Are there a special connection for you to the region as well?

Barry Makin: Yes, I live very close to the hotel – I moved to Bridge of Allan from Edinburgh last year. Its such a beautiful part of the country and I am delighted to have made the move with my family. Edinburgh is not far and is very commutable but the draw of the local area and the people made it a very easy decision for me to move.

There was a major refurbishment of the CROMLIX and it opened in the fall 2023 again. What is new? And what exciting specials could your guests expect?

Barry Makin: All of the interiors are new – we totally refurbished all of the bedrooms, bathrooms and common areas of the hotel, including the bar, restaurant and billiards room. The style is a really colorful mix of bold patterns and prints, and we have some amazing artwork on the walls too. Some of the art is on loan from the Royal Scottish Academy but some is also from Andy and Kim’s own collection. We have lots of packages available to tailor for whatever people want to do when they are at Cromlix – we have our ‘Do Nothing’ package, which encourages total relaxation and sleep, or some fine dining packages and can also arrange things like falconry, off road driving, laser clay pigeon shooting or tennis and pickleball.

„All of the interiors are new – we totally refurbished all of the bedrooms, bathrooms and common areas of the hotel, including the bar, restaurant and billiards room.“

The CROMLIX is a 16-bedroom Victorian country house, which now feels like a Scottish country home for your guests after the refurbishment with the new style, new pieces of furniture and new artwork. How were you, Kim and Andy involved in the redesign?

Barry Makin: Kim was the real driving force behind the redesign. She worked closely with Suzanne Garuda, of Garuda Design, who she had worked with on the interior design of their own Surrey home. Kim had a clear idea of what she wanted the hotel to look like and so it’s very much her inspiration. Andy was more involved in some of the technical aspects of what a luxury hotel should be – he has obviously got so much experience of staying in hotels around the world, so he knew, for example, that he wanted the best mattresses available. And he wanted to make sure the Wifi was really good as he knows how important this is when he travels himself. My role was much more in the delivery side of things, and ensuring everything looks good, stays looking good and functions properly so we can ensure we are delivering excellence to our guests.

You have many years of experience in the hotel business. What qualities do you think are important in hospitality in order to be a good manager of a luxury hotel like the CROMLIX?

Barry Makin: I think you have to have a genuine passion for hospitality to work in the industry. It’s an all-consuming job, and can be stressful at times, so if your heart is not in it, it’s difficult to do the job well.  Also, I believe you have to be a warm person who likes other people and takes an interest in other people. You need to look after your team as well as you do your guests, that ultimately filters down to all levels of the business. When we recruit, we really look for that warmth in our staff. It’s something guests often comment on. I also believe you always have to keep improving, if you stay still, that’s when you stop being the very best you can be.

The CROMLIX is near Dunblane in the middle of Scotland and about 40 miles away from bigger cities like Glasgow or Edinburgh. Which attractions are near by the hotel and city?

Barry Makin: The historic city of Stirling is nearby, with Stirling Castle and the Wallace Monument both worth a visit, if you like to immerse yourself in history. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park are also a short drive for those that like outdoor adventure, and the Falls of Dochart, is one of the most photographed waterfalls in Scotland.

„I also believe you always have to keep improving, if you stay still, that’s when you stop being the very best you can be.“

There is a lot of competition in the Scottish hospitality market, particularly near major venues. How does CROMLIX differ from the other destinations in the luxury segment – besides the charisma of the well-known owners of the Murray family? And do you have any ideas for pushing CROMLIX even further in the future?

Barry Makin: We really feel we offer something quite different to everything else around here. The hotel is small but its intimacy is part of its charm – we really try to make people feel as relaxed as if they were staying in a country house, rather than a hotel, and you wouldn’t get that at some of the bigger properties nearby. All of our bedrooms and bathrooms are totally unique in their design and layout so you can come back time after time and feel like you are staying somewhere new. Our menu changes frequently so the food is always fresh and uses in season products, much of it grown in our own Kitchen Garden. We are going to be building some eco-cabins around the Loch later this year and introducing a wellness facility so there is definitely lots more to come and keep guests coming back time and time again.

What is so special about Scotland – for you personally? And which three places in the area – in your opinion – should hotel guests definitely see when staying at the CROMLIX?

Barry Makin: Scotland is spectacularly beautiful all year round, and there is so much natural beauty in this area in particular. The Scottish welcome is also something special – our staff are warm and friendly without being intrusive. Scottish hospitality is about welcoming you into our home, whether that be our places and destinations or our hotels and accommodations. In my opinion, three must visit locations in the area would be Stirling Castle, the Wallace monument and the Kelpies. The first two are steeped in the heart of Scottish History and the third is a modern Scottish Landmark. We also have Stirling safari park on our doorstep only 10 miles away and Dunblane Cathedral, where Andy and Kim got married, is a very special building.

Thank you very much for the great interview, Mr. Makin!

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Interview: Andreas Detert / Fotos: Andy Murray (privat), Verena Splett, CROMLIX Hotel, 77 Group