East Lodge is set in beautiful, unspoilt countryside approximately 6 miles for the historic town of Stirling.   We are situated at the edge of the charming village of Gargunnock.

East Lodge was formally the gamekeepers house when it was part of Leckie estate.   The original lodge dates from the early 19th century; we have extended and modernised the lodge offering very comfortable and peaceful accommodation.

History.

There is an enormous amount of history associated with the Leckie estate from an ancient broch (Fortified house) dating from the first and second century AD, Leckie Castle built in the 16th Century, seventeenth and eighteenth century bridges and a ruined watermill.  Leckie House is an Gothic mansion built in the 1820,s it is a beautiful building of mellowed stone with gothic windows and gables topped by decorative cornices and finials.    Leckie once belonged to King Robert the Bruce and Prince Charles Stewart stayed in Leckie castle which was the last house he occupied in the Lowlands on his ill-starred march to the North and defeat on Culloden Moor. The grounds surrounding East Lodge are made up of gardens, lawns and planted woodlands. The woodlands were the results of the work of Professor Robert Graham professor of medicine and Keeper of the Kings Garden.  He was the principle founder of the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh in 1840.

Accommodation.

As part of the Scottish Tourist Boards quality assurance grading scheme East Lodge has been Awarded *** in recognition of a very good standard of facilities and services. We have a ground floor double room with a kings sized brass bed next to a private shower room.

A twin bedded room overlooking the back garden is also on the ground floor. There is a bunk bedded room on the first floor suitable for younger visitors.

Children are welcome younger children under the age of 5 sharing their parents room are not charged. A travelling cot is available for babies.

There are tea and coffee making facilities in the ground floor rooms as well as hairdryers in all rooms.

The dining room where breakfast is served reflects our interests in fishing and the countryside. The lounge on the first floor has patio doors opening onto the terrace with views over the gardens and to the Gargunnock Hills, where afternoon tea can be served (weather permitting) on arrival.

Breakfast.

A full Scottish breakfast is provided each morning from 7.00a.m. To 9.00a.m, for those who prefer a lighter start to the day a continental breakfast is available. Home made museli, marmalade and preserves together with our own fresh eggs and local produce are a feature of our breakfast menu.

We are happy to cater for vegetarians and for people with special diets.

Local Visitor Attractions

The ancient town of Stirling offers many places of interest to visit.  Stirling Castle is one of the grandest of Scotland’s castles.  The Wallace Monument celebrates the life of our National hero Sir William Wallace, there are wonderful views from the top of the monument. The Old Town Jail, Bannockburn Heritage Centre and battle site, and Argylls Lodge built in 1670 are some of the many other interesting places to visit in Stirling.

The surrounding area of Stirling and Gargunnock also have places which should be seen, take the boat over to Inchmaholme Priory at Port of Menteith 5 miles from East Lodge, where there is a beautiful Augustinian Monastery founded in 1238 much of the building still survives. Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in the Troaccachs offers woodland walks, cycle routes, riding and fishing. There are numerous opportunities locally for golfing, fishing, riding, swimming and for evening entertainment. There is a very modern shopping centre in Stirling, The Marches, and and a number of woollen mills locally. Glengoyle distillery offers tours, tasting and nosing sessions and is considered being one of Scotland’s most beautiful distilleries.

Places to eat

Gargunnock Inn is about 5 minutes walk from East Lodge it provides extremely good lunch and evening meals. In Stirling there are numerous bistro’s,  pubs and restaurants serving a range of cuisine to suit all tastes.  Other nearby villages also offer excellent places to eat, for example, the Cross  Keys at Kippen 3 miles away, and the Lion and the Unicorn in Thornhill  5 miles from East Lodge.

Extending your stay 

 East Lodge is ideally placed as a base for touring further afield. The station in Stirling provides  Regular train services to Edinburgh (50 minutes), Glasgow (45 minutes) and Perth (35 minutes). East Lodge is 10 minutes drive from the A9 the main route north and south and Loch Lomond is only 19 miles away.

Many of our guests return to enjoy the quiet and peaceful surroundings.  We have our own hens and guinea fowl and are pleased to offer accommodation to well behaved dogs.

Bookings

For further information or to make a booking please phone  01786 860605 or E mail

We look forward to welcoming you to our home.