IS 7 IN A ROW POSSIBLE? IRONMAN AUSTRIA PREVIEW 16.6.2024

3.8km swim, 180km cycle, 42.2km marathon. Every section timed, you fall behind the clock you are out. Must complete in 17 hours. 

At IronMan Copenhagen 2023 I had the great pleasure of crossing my sixth full distance 140.6 mile IronMan finish line, going into a tie for the all time Glenrothes Triathlon Club IronMan finishing record, with fellow GTC member Doug Stewart. Let's see what 2024 brings! 

The biggest physical stage finish in global Triathlon is set for Austria on 16th June. And event history is certainly in the making this year, as it is the 25th anniversary of the crown jewel of European Triathlon. The race is of course completely Sold Out, the commemorative and celebratory atmosphere is going to be quite incredible. 

It is such an honour in prospect, at age 56 young to be taking the Austria start line for the fifth time, and for my seventh IronMan in total, representing Scotland's over mid fifties, and our amazing, local, friendly and inclusive Glenrothes Triathlon Club. Upon reflection, joining GTC a decade ago was certainly a life-changing circumstance. Annual membership is £20 - you should go ahead and join! 

Scrolling through social media, and I'm suddenly thinking, 'Hold on a minute, that's me cycling on my bike AKA The Black Knife in the photo!' How lovely to see 😎 That was Austria last year. You see the arms position, that's aero tuck, makes a vast difference to the speed you can hold. Less drag = more speed. I've made further adjustments to the arm bars this year, many thanks to southern hemisphere's FastTT and to the team at Kirkcaldy's Singletrack Bikes for installation. 

The Austria start line? Suncream on, and 7am sunlight already hot as you zip up the wetsuit. 'Boom!' - that's the cannon fired for the start. Helicopter flying overhead. ACDC pounding out the PA system. 3,500 athletes penned and ready to go! On a sensory level alone, it is really quite something to experience. 

Little did I know 10 years ago, but Triathlon training would eventually lead to a level of fitness whereby I could also re-embrace a love of skiing, after having taken a skiing break of 36 years! And I'm not talking about a gentle wee ski for an hour here or there, my best ever single day Strava ski record (spring 2023) covered a truly epic 204 kilometres in one go up on the Deux Alpes glacier, what a day that was, carving run after run at circa 50km per hour. Carving? Feels like being a low-flying fighter jet pilot, whilst peeling the wrapper off a brand new iPhone!

Fast forward to the end of January 2024, I was in Meribel, and shifting on skis only at walking pace in flat light, whereby the sky is momentarily exactly the same colour as the snow, everything goes completely white, rendering it extremely difficult to see where you are going. A ski tip clipped a lump of ice, I fell to the ground at an angle whereby the ski boots didn't have time to release from their bindings, and oh my goodness my right knee got a torque injury. Everything below the knee twisted one way, everything above the knee went the other way! As I lay on the snow cursing away for the next 15 minutes, and knowing it was a bad injury, I was wondering what it would mean for the prospects for Austria 2024! 

And so began a process of injury rehabilitation, blended with what training and conditioning could be done. RICE - Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. And onwards we go. 

In my decade of Triathlon I have never previously pulled out of taking a booked event start line, I was absolutely gutted to have to pull out of the 85 mile Etape Caledonia 2024 cycle three weeks ago. I did so, to do my absolute best to protect the bad knee for Austria. 

Over recent months I have not been able to cycle on roads, uphill. And I have not been able to run any long distances. So how am I able to even consider taking an IronMan start line in 2024 for a 3.8km swim, a 180km cycle inclusive of the vertical equivalent of cycling up 405 metres higher than Scotland's highest mountain Ben Nevis, and then a 42.2km marathon on foot thereafter? 

Well, swimming is going great, and I have however been able to very consistently maintain 'flat road' cycling conditioning by using my indoor bike, the mighty Wattbike. And I have very consistently maintained, and increased the amount of very fast walking. I am resisting all temptation to run, so as to protect the knee. 

As always, I am doing everything I can, to fully prepare with the best tools I've got. Build and build and build. Every single session storing the necessary reserves of glycogen, as you certainly need the minerals to go the distance. 

If I make it through the totally stunning turquoise waters of the Lake Worthersee swim, my only plan is to take it from there and see what happens. 

Over 6 previous IronMan finishes, I have successfully raced 843.6 miles. At many times it has been truly character building, 2022 Austria in particular. It was in July that year with sunlight temperature (in direct sunlight) between 43 and 48 degrees. The 112 mile cycle was absolutely brutal. 

Reflecting back to 2018 and how this IronMan journey really began, after 4 years of training I thought I would have a go at the Edinburgh half IronMan, a 1.9km sea swim, a 90km cycle, and then a 21.1km half marathon. Same bad knee capers that year, I was unable to do any running at all for 4 months in advance. I had paid the entry fee, so I thought I'd just turn up and see what happens. The swim was fine, the cycle was fine, and I basically then turbo-walked the entire 21.1km half marathon. I made the finish line at 8 hours with half an hour spare before the cutoff, turned to my very lovely wife Gaynor and said, 'I am never ever going to do another event like this again!' 

Fellow GTC member Lee Kinnell offered a few words of support as I hobbled very slowly back to our car. That night however, I realised that 'all I needed to do' to potentially complete a full distance IronMan and get the T shirt, medal and obligatory M dot tattoo, was 'simply double' what I had just done that day. So I signed up for Austria 2019 the next day! And then, I didn't just double my training, I tripled it and the rest. 

(wrapped in cellophane after tattoo artist)

My training over the decade has now taken me significantly further than the equivalent of going around the entire circumference of Planet Earth's 40,075 kilometres. There has never been a hundred metres in which I have not counted my triathlon blessings. 

Each time I have taken part in an IronMan, I've been thinking 'Maybe this will be the last one?' But then again I've always thought afterwards, 'Why stop, if you think you can complete one again?' Let's see what happens this time. 

All best wishes, 

Nicholas 

IronMan Class of 2024 

Balbirnie House rated STRONG in 2024 UK Wedding Industry Plimsoll Analysis

A month ago, we delivered an article which talked about our latest publishing of accounts within Companies House, for the year which ended way back in April 2023. We had a financial loss that year, but writing the article approaching a further year onwards we have greater optimism based on a further three quarters of a year of new and fully up-to-date management accounts. 

Not sure if the future-forecasters at Plimsoll Analysis are reading our ongoing blog articles, but we have very good news today for Balbirnie House!

We are informed that financial results for 328 UK wedding venue companies were analysed via Plimsoll. Within these, only 62 companies were rated as strong. 

Balbirnie House Hotel Ltd is categorised as Strong. 

Following all pandemic challenges, and all industry financial challenges thereafter, we are truly and absolutely delighted to see Balbirnie House rated financially in the Strong category. 

More bluntly put however, only 18% of such companies are rated as Strong. Which therefore means that 82% of UK wedding venues are not categorised as strong. 

In further consideration, 253 companies out of 328, are categorised as either Mediocre, Caution, or Danger. This equates to 77%. 

In even further consideration, 179 companies out of 328 are categorised as Danger. This equates to 55%. And that, is a very sad but fully realistic assessment of the reality of the UK wedding venue sector today. 

Fundamentally therefore, 2024's newly engaged couples who are looking for a future UK wedding venue for 2024, 2025 or 2026 (or beyond), are currently considering a range of wedding venues, with 55% of those venues already in financial Danger, and 77% of venues classified as either Mediocre, Caution or Danger. This is a truly staggering and unfortunate set of statistics for the UK 2024 wedding venue industry. 

Stating the reality as well, banks tend not to lend money or otherwise continue to support companies which are seemingly destined to fail. And that is when venues have no choice other than to discontinue. It all very simply underlines why governments need to do more today, to support the hospitality industry. 

I also highlight that geographically the challenges are even more epic in Scotland alone, as the Scottish government has not provided the same two year Business Rates Relief, as has already been applied in England. (The two year saving that Balbirnie House would otherwise have experienced, would have been £172,500 - as I was recently asked to write about specifically for this business article via The Courier.) 

Over the Balbirnie decades we have met with many visiting couples who have been holding wedding bookings elsewhere, only to find that the other venue is needing to close effective immediate, and the couple urgently need to find a new replacement wedding venue, and that is of course to say the very least a very highly stressful scenario for any couple. 

The ongoing 2024 financial challenges across the entire UK hospitality sector are all extremely well documented and self-evident across the span of media today. 

Most helpfully intended, best advice today for any couple looking at any UK wedding venue company for any future wedding (or indeed for event organisers and the generality of special events), prior to paying any deposit, is to ask the venue for any information they can provide with regards to published accounts, current financial status, and opinion on ability to be remaining in trading business through to the intended date of the special event/ wedding celebration itself.

Fundamentally of course, any couple booking a future wedding venue most ideally want to be brimming with the joy of the venue itself, and to then be able to enjoy the journey of planning and approaching the celebrations. 

Whilst none of us in the hospitality sector actually has a financial crystal ball, at Balbirnie House we are certainly progressing into the future with renewed financial optimism. 

To arrange a visit to Balbirnie House E: leah@balbirnie.co.uk 

With all best wishes, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House

BALBIRNIE ACCOUNTS TO YEAR END APRIL 2023 DEFINE A £186,000 LOSS

It is an astonishing set of statistics, but during the 2022 and 2023 calendar years combined, Balbirnie House took bookings for 414 future weddings. Our sincere gratitude to everyone who has made bookings for their special day at Balbirnie House. Onwards we go, one very special day at a time. 

Over and above, and beyond the scope of weddings, the hotel continues to provide the backdrop for private and corporate special events, afternoon teas, dinner, and residential stays. 

Given we are so busy, anyone might be wondering why we are publishing new accounts today, which define a loss? This blog sets out why this is the case. Fundamentally the costs of operating in the entire Scotland hospitality sector are now more extreme and more expensive than ever before, and they are also now more expensive than operating in hospitality in England! 

The harsh reality of exactly where things now are across Scotland's hospitality sector today, January 2024? Read via: At least 10,000 hospitality businesses operating without financial assistance. 

The 2024 calendar year began with multiple very emotive business closures across the span of the UK hospitality sector, over on twitter (follow our progress on X here) multiple owners of restaurants in England in particular were stating at the beginning of January that they were of the categorical opinion that they could quite simply not afford to keep trading, as they envisaged that it is truly and absolutely impossible now, to make enough money to break even, let alone deliver any operating profit. The doors to those many businesses therefore were closed. With circumstances now very sadly seemingly worsening elsewhere in hospitality, by the day. 

It is certainly the case that since 2020, the hospitality sector has been contending with a truly perfect storm of trading challenges. The financial hangover circumstances from the pandemic (in Balbirnie's case that was a previously well documented £1M hit in the first 3 months of closure alone), have subsequently met additional necessity for new CBILs support loans. Hospitality then saw a tripling and the rest of gas and electric energy costs, within which our in-house Environmental Taskforce continues to deliver new efficiencies as far as is possible to do so. There have been huge inflationary increases everywhere, and very significant increases with interest costs. Prevailing tourism vat at 20% is also considered extortionate by the entire hospitality sector, and all trade bodies and their requests for reductions are ignored thus far by both governments. Wage levels understandably keep increasing as always as well. 

Check out the image archives, Balbirnie House in the Hotel News 4 years ago, how time flies! -

Fast forward and it is worth mentioning today however, that the England hospitality businesses which have already closed, have also successfully experienced the very significant benefit of 75% reductions with business rates, now fully applicable across the England span of two years. And still those businesses could not afford to continue? 

Scotland however has not had any of these same reductions with business rates, and given the sum in question for a cash flow benefit for Balbirnie over two years would have been a quite staggering £172,500 I was recently asked to supply Balbirnie-specific information on this point for an article for The Courier. To go a further comment in the interim, whilst working in the Scotland hospitality sector today, it actually feels like the Westminster government is doing the very opposite of supporting the hospitality sector, and Scotland's government is in these terms therefore actually doing significantly even worse. 

There are many Scotland hospitality operators who have already ceased trading. Perhaps Scotland's government considers it best for many hospitality operators to close, and thereby deliver no taxes at all? The lack of government support is astonishing. It is not platitudes that the Scotland hospitality sector needs, it is direct and ongoing financial assistance. 

Is is against the above backdrop that we strive to continue with the task of stewardship of what we do, doing everything possible for present and future clients. And despite all challenges, we are fully optimistic at Balbirnie House, as to the future ahead. Balbirnie is rather unique as a hotel, in that we have a future diary which is already very, very well booked ahead. 

Whilst normal countries have ways of financially supporting, incentivising and encouraging cultural heritage buildings, Scotland sadly does not. We work at Balbirnie House with an insurance value re-instatement estimate at £25M, with absolutely zero such government assistance, and the task of paying for all upkeep, maintenance and improvements, is our own welcome responsibility as well. 

Image credit: The Kilted Photographer

By way of rough calculation, and remarkably so, we have started 2024 with significantly more business confirmed and booked into our future special events diaries, than we have seen with total turnover in the accounting year now publishing. The task ahead as always, is how to endeavour to give every single visitor a wonderful time in hospitality, and still have enough left to pay all the bills! And stating the obvious, a small amount from every visitor needs to go towards the safeguarding of Balbirnie House as a category A listed 1777 national treasure. 

So here we are today, and we've just published our latest annual accounts for the 2022/ 23 financial year which actually concluded at the end of April 2023, 9 months ago. These show that, inclusive of vat and with total financial turnover heading towards £5.5M we were almost 25% busier than in the previous year. We have certainly seen Balbirnie House provide the backdrop for an an incredible number of special occasions over recent years, even more so than in the previous very busy years. It is certainly also the case though, that up until the financial point 9 months ago, in that year our entire operating costs were marginally greater than our entire revenue! 

The bottom line is a loss of £186,000 - and our company directors have needed to successfully arrange new financing to cover the losses. We are absolutely and fully appreciative that we have had the ability to arrange new financing, as we are well aware that so many hospitality industry colleagues have not been successful in these endeavours. 

Whilst none of us has a financial crystal ball, we consider the future with optimism, and stating the obvious, for prospective future wedding clients making bookings for dates eg two years in the future, there has to be a belief that any business will be able to keep trading. Our focus on this is completely resolute, and not just on keeping trading, but retaining the constant ability to be able to keep on reinvesting back into the fabric of the assets as well. As minted as is possible to do so, for all of the future ahead. 

Given accumulated awards history, eight best-in-world awards via Haute Grandeur global hotel awards, including Best Wedding Hotel in the world for the fourth time in 2023, and fifteen time annual recipient Scotland's Wedding Hotel of the Year, this all absolutely brings a further set of dynamics in wishing to keep everything looking at its best possible for the future, befitting the past but also looking into that future, and onwards we go with one very special day in hospitality at a time. 

We are accustomed to publishing new revised annual pricing information each year. There is a lead time for circumstances. What happened financially in 2022/23 was driven by pricing and operational decisions taken in 2021/ 22, with final results then delayed by the timeline for publishing accounts. It is always fully, a 3 year story. 

Working with decisions at Balbirnie House in many ways, is like turning a supertanker in the sea, it is not an instant thing, it takes time. Decisions now taken today may take at least 3 years to pave their way into published accounts. 

In particular, I would like to highlight one section of the 2022/ 23 director narrative in the accounts, and I do so because it more accurately conveys the reality of today, as opposed to the financial circumstances from a year ago: 

BALBIRNIE HOUSE HOTEL LIMITED STRATEGIC REPORT (CONTINUED) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 APRIL 2023

The directors are optimistic based on current projections, and with management accounts showing a record-breaking first half of the 2023/ 24 financial year, that financial results to the end of April 2024 may show a return to profit. We suggest that it is conceivable that our company may now finally return to profit, four financial years after the negative financial implications of the pandemic lockdowns. We will therefore consider fast tracking production of our next annual accounts. 

The above is self-explanatory. And the combined improvements in prospects today are certainly a result of massive contemplation from our management team, all systems under full ongoing appraisal and review, and with purchasing and procurement in focus as always. (I won't take more of your time with this blog post but if you wish to read more about this, within accounts Strategic Report we set out additional specific reasons as to why we are optimistic as to the future. Balbirnie House Hotel Ltd accounts of course are fully accessible to the general public via Companies House website.)

Hospitality workers are wondering today what it is that governments hope to see in the future? In amongst all challenges, at Balbirnie House we remain completely focused on ensuring that we are doing all that we can, to make sure that the decisions of today are continuing to deliver the stability and trading success of 3 years into the future, and beyond. Many blessings counted that across the span of our company management team, that there is a wealth of experience, a constant willingness to embrace evolution and new technology, and all driven by our desire to do our absolute best in delivering the warmth of welcome of Scotland hospitality. 

Our sincere gratitude to all clients past, present and future. And onwards we go with the future. 

All best wishes, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House 

Wedding in a Winter Wonderland

💖 Balbirnie House started 2024 in the early hours of the 1st January by publishing 5 minutes of brand new celebratory footage, of many favourite photographs from recent years. You can read our blog about this via BEHIND THE LENS 4 - ONE VERY SPECIAL DAY AT A TIME and you can view the footage direct over on YouTube. 

It is so very lovely to be starting a New Year with such happiness and joy. For those of us dedicated to delivering our absolute best hospitality and warmth of welcome of Scotland, it always means so very much to us all, to see each new day and the capturing of these special and unique photographic memories. All combining of course, into the most epic collection of historic archives as well. It is for this reason, that we very actively encourage all clients who do wish us to do so, to place the commemorative celebration of the day across the span of our social media. 

We hope that for example 50 years from now, couples who are getting married today, will be returning to celebrate their Golden Weddings at Balbirnie House. An opportunity on that future day to look back at today's archives! 

As part of the above film project we have created a further shortened edit aligned especially as a celebration of winter weddings at Balbirnie House. 

You can view the further winter edit via: WEDDING IN A WINTER WONDERLAND

Over the many years it has certainly been the case that the summer months are the most popular for weddings. We only ever see one wedding taking place per day at Balbirnie, but it can literally be every day of the month each year through July and August. 

Over the last 15 years or so, and as social media has evolved and accelerated, we have seen more and more incredible photography, additionally focused on the winter months as well. So much so, that we have many clients these days, who are only focused at outset on the joys of winter weddings. The fires are on, the Millennium Ballroom is candlelit for the wedding meal, and then we arrive at the wonders of evening photography opportunities. 

The festive season is of course a further contemplation in itself. Christmas trees on the front steps, in the Long Gallery and Ballroom, and of course the halls are totally decked! Such a special time of year, with weddings taking place on all December weekends, on the very special days between Christmas and New Year, and at the start of the New Year as well. 

Since 2021 onwards we have successfully offered Hogmanay itself as an opportunity for one Exclusive Use wedding (all bedrooms taken), and whilst Hogmanay 2024 is already similarly reserved, we do currently have Hogmanay 2025 available. (To provisionally reserve E: leah@balbirnie.co.uk) 

It is especially on this accumulating and combined winter basis, that we have also actually recently made the move to recommend, that in-house ceremony timings move from what has always been 2pm, to 1pm instead. In the summer it simply allows for a further hour of celebrating, in the winter it allows for a further hour of celebrating, but also creates additional scope for 1 further hour of daylight photography as well. 

And there's even more to highlight regarding the romance of winter. January is always the month that we receive the most enquiries for future weddings at Balbirnie House. Due of course, to all the festive season engagements. 

Whilst we have very limited availability for 2024 weekends, special event dates can and do change, so please contact us for availability. (Worth mentioning as well, our wedding planners have created some totally unprecedented packaging, which has created scope for a few dates with Marvellous Midweek Exclusive Use, without the usual £2,500 Exclusive Use fee being applicable.)

We very much look forward to welcoming newly engaged couples to Balbirnie House. 

All best wishes, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House

Photography credits: 

Lifetime Photography

Victoria Photography

Makula Photography

Martin Ward Photography

Derek Christie Photography

Matthew Smith Photography

Jen Owens Photography

Maddison Productions Photography

Jason Kennoway Photography

HELLO 2024!!! BEHIND THE LENS 4 - One Very Special Day at a Time

We are absolutely delighted to bring you this brand new footage. BEHIND THE LENS 4 is a 5 minute collection of favourite images over recent years. Worth mentioning in passing that it was two decades ago that we delivered BEHIND THE LENS 1! 

This footage is a triple celebration. 

- Best Wedding Hotel in the World, for the 4th time, via Haute Grandeur global hotel awards. 

- Scotland's 2024 National Wedding Hotel of the Year, for the 15th time.

- And as a celebration of a decade working at Balbirnie House, Senior wedding planner Christine Lowe, through to 12th January 2024. Christine was married herself at Balbirnie House, and together with husband Jay, is the final bride in this footage. We thank Christine for a truly amazing contribution to Balbirnie's evolving history, and all the many years of dedicated heartfelt attention that goes into our ongoing delivery for flawless event planning. Evolution is always at the heart of all that we do, and Christine has been absolutely fundamental with visualising and delivering annual reviews and updates for all wedding literature. Our sincere thanks to our departing colleague. 

Over the last couple of decades we have seen very significant changes with wedding photography. When I started at Balbirnie House back in 1992 the wedding photographer would normally conclude after the cake cutting at 4.45pm, job done! 

From Balbirnie's perspective all of that previous changed with one single photograph, a late night autumnal shot taken by Rob Thomson of Lifetime Photography. When we received that photo by email that night for our Facebook update of the special occasion, it was an Oh My Goodness Me moment. Subsequently the photo gained very significant Facebook coverage. The photo features in this new footage at 1 min 35 secs. Today, we can now look back to that historic moment, and say, 'That's when things changed up a gear, one photographer truly considers the work of another, and so we began to see more and more night time photography'. So much so, that these days we have many wedding clients, wishing to get married in the winter months instead of summer, in order to enable these night photography capabilities as well. 

In considering wedding photography, some people think that it is a simple matter of pointing a camera and click? To the contrary, it can be much more complex that that. What we have seen is a never-ending journey of Scotland's most incredibly talented photographers capturing the most beautiful and breathtaking moments and memories. Some of these photos have certainly been captured with total spontaneity. However many others have not. They have been have been the result of a very long timeline of contemplation. Perhaps an exact space in the many acres around Balbirnie House, contemplated in the summer, and kept on standby until the right weather and lighting conditions are reached in the winter. The photo itself, perhaps taking a long time for the lighting and equipment to be positioned (something that photographers can take time to prepare while the wedding party are having meal), and whilst that professional setup can take time, the happy couple only need to be in that right time and place later, and for a few seconds. 

We have certainly found that most couple are absolutely delighted to set aside a few moments for such special pre-considered evening photography, but stating the obvious, most will quickly wish to re-join their wedding guests for the continuing celebrations. And that ongoing photography that follows, is natural and spontaneous, or as the posh word goes, it is called reportage, as opposed to staged! 

Whilst working on a previous Behind the Lens, I can recall being about to finalise, but for one reason or another there was one final photograph we would absolutely have loved to include. We contacted photographer Stuart Craig, who immediately very kindly sent us over the original image, and we saw that the image itself was not digitally watermarked by Stuart, and therefore it was not possible to identify the photographer. We pointed this out, and Stuart's reply was 'Please feel free to use the photograph as it is!' The generosity of that very moment was another first for us, because it was the first time that a photographer had so very generously consented to their work being shared in the public domain, without being credited as the source. 

A long time back, I can certainly recall that Balbirnie House was a first wedding destination to use Facebook, which back then for example only enabled 1 single image per occasion. We did write to Facebook requesting ability and space to add more! Our historic commemorative social media posts were usually a single image from a house camera. This then became multiple images via house camera. And then photographers began fast-processing final images (again, during the wedding meal), then fastrack sending the photos to us, so that we could post the professional shots on the night, with a direct credit to the photographers themselves. This has worked really well over the many years. 

And never mind a single photographer back in the 1990's finishing at 4.45pm. The photos you are about to view, some of these have been the work of same company doubled up photographers both working for the same wedding until midnight! 

Luck, chance, timing? All relevant of course, but as is always the case as well, the harder the photographer works, the luckier the photographer gets! 

Our sincere thanks to one and all. A huge thanks to everyone in our wedding planning department, in retaining and collating all source images. 

If for any reason there are any images which are not digitally watermarked, and photographers wish to highlight, please email me and I will add to credits below. [nicholas@balbirnie.co.uk]

It has always been such an honour to be involved in editing Behind the Lens over these many years. This time around, and the same as all previously, it has been something of an emotional rollercoaster. Made even more special by seeing the reactions of fellow Balbirnie work colleagues when they see the final results for the first time. 

Here is the link through to YouTube: 

BEHIND THE LENS 4 - ONE VERY SPECIAL DAY AT A TIME

All best wishes from Balbirnie, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House

Photographer credits: 

Behind the Lens 4

 

Lifetime Photography 

Makula Photography

Victoria Photography

NC Photography

Liana Mitrea Photography

Karolina Kotkiewicz Photography

Stuart Craig Photography

Jen Owens Photography

Martin Ward Photography

Carley Buick Photography

Derek Christie Photography

Forza Photography

Half Light Photography

Iris Art Photography

Marc Quinn Photography

Ryan White Photography

Photography 78 Photography

Photography by Emilie Photography 

Quick Explainer: DECADES OF INCONSIDERATE PARKING ARE THE ROOT CAUSE OF NECESSARY PARKING UPGRADES

Balbirnie House has now delivered £100,000 of investments into upgrades across the entire span of our parking portfolio. 

As we have moved through the phased introduction, we have delivered a Trilogy of blog articles, introducing the new systems, explaining the further future potentials of additional investment up to £350,000 - as well as an extremely comprehensive summary of the problems we have previously contended with, across decades of inconsiderate parking. Should you wish to read the Trilogy, you can access that via this link. 

This new blog is a very quick explainer. 

Drone image credit: The Kilted Photographer

Balbirnie House sits as a truly stunning 1777 heritage asset for Scotland, as the focal centrepiece of the 400 acre Balbirnie Park. Over the recent decades Balbirnie Park itself has become a popular tourism destination, and from 2023 onwards is set to become even more popular, with destination visiting and stopover status defined on the brand new Fife 191 driving route. Balbirnie Park is destination 18 https://www.fife191.com/map

Our car parks are privately owned by Balbirnie House Hotel Ltd. We need to retain all parking for our hotel guests, and those who are using our ten brand new electric vehicle chargers. 

In 2023 we saw Balbirnie House receiving Haute Grandeur recognition, and very extensive media coverage, Best Wedding Hotel in the world, for the 4th time. 

Balbirnie House is also Scotland's 2024 National Wedding Hotel of the Year. This is the 15th time this award has been received in 17 years. 

In these contexts Balbirnie House is now the most celebrated wedding venue on Planet Earth. As we are sure anyone can agree, we need to retain sufficient parking spaces all year round, for our tens of thousands of arriving wedding guests. As well as all guests who are visiting for dining, overnight stays, celebrations and private and corporate events. 

In all contexts of post-pandemic trading, we are seeing increases not only in the volume of enquiries we have for future special events, but as a generality the numbers of guests physically attending events has gone up as well. 

We only have 100+ parking spaces, within which we need to retain spaces for everyone working here as well. It is therefore absolutely common sense, that in the first instance we need to retain all parking areas for our guests. 

We also highlight that beautiful Balbirnie Park is a vibrant destination for all sorts of recreational activities. The park itself also includes a stunning 18 hole golf course.

With all evolving progress, in 2023 Balbirnie House made significant investments and introduced state-of-the-art technology across the entire span of parking portfolio, primarily to ensure that we retain sufficient and convenient parking spaces for all guests who are visiting our hotel. So as to assist with this, parking charges are applicable. 

With sustainability to the fore, we also introduced a set of ten pre-reservable electric vehicle chargers, which have capability to deliver 8 million miles per year, of clean electric driving.

With our kindest regards, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House

ARE YOU POPPING THE QUESTION? 2024 Marvellous Midweek £79.95 per wedding guest

Blog update 22.12.2023 

We have just gone live over on our main twitter/ X with the following celebratory offer, it is the first time in history that we are creating scope for five future sets of wedding clients, to take over Balbirnie House in entirety for a 2024 wedding, without our usual £2,500 Exclusive Use fee applicable. This takes Marvellous Midweek, to a totally unprecedented level of value, for midweek dates with a minimum of 70 overnight guests. 

Tweets: 

In celebration of becoming Scotland's 2024 national Wedding Hotel of the Year (for 15th annual time), in 2024 we are going to offer five wedding dates for Marvellous Midweek wedding packages, on an Exclusive Use basis, WITHOUT APPLYING EXCLUSIVE USE CHARGES (normally £2,500)

 

NB All bedrooms occupied on the night of the special day. Exclusive Use is applicable from 12 noon (on the day of the wedding, until checkout 11am the day afterwards) First come first served! To enquire about available dates or indeed to reserve today E: leah@balbirnie.co.uk

Pre wedding dinners and pre wedding accommodation subject to availability.

Romance on another level @BalbirnieHouse If you are thinking of Popping the Question, and wish to provisionally hold a date in the meantime, in anticipation of the answer to the question being a Yes? Of course, we can hold you a date provisionally! E: leah@balbirnie.co.uk

And here is that new package on five dates. Based on 70 adult day guests: 

Original blog: 

The 2022 calendar year was our busiest ever year in history for weddings, on 194 days we had wedding celebrations taking place. One reason it was so incredibly busy, was attributed to the fact that so many couples had previously needed to shift dates, due to the pandemic. Sometimes then shifting, again and again. 

On our blog we've highlighted before, how our wedding planning department managed that challenge, as it was the most amazing hospitality we have ever seen delivered via Balbirnie House, due to the scale of the challenge, the logistics, and all emotions involved. 

Thank goodness we have now reverted back to logistical normality in 2023. 

The moving of wedding dates is not always a straightforward thing to do, especially if a client needs to make reservations for accommodation on nights on either side of the wedding day itself. 

Through 2023 we saw a marginal reduction in wedding dates, taking place on over 170 amazing days, still somewhat busier than we were accustomed to seeing before, in the years before the lockdowns. 

Truly remarkably, we will start 2024 however, with our wedding diary already even busier than in 2023. An accumulating history of Memories are Made of This 💖

There is absolutely no doubt, that we are seeing so many future wedding bookings, because of the globally unprecedented circumstances of seeing Balbirnie House becoming defined as Best Wedding Hotel in the World, for the fourth time in 2023. 

When it published, the breaking news story, went straight to Most Read news story in Scotland: 

Being defined as The Most Celebrated Wedding Venue on Planet Earth is certainly a huge task for our entire hotel to live up to on a daily basis. All we can look to do is keep evolving, keep delivering flawless event planning, and keep approaching everything as one very special day at a time. In a wedding context, if you wish to become a part of this incredible history, then please do contact us to arrange a visit. 

What we are now wondering, is how many additional 2024 midweek dates will now be reserved for weddings in the weeks and months ahead? (We do have a few Sundays available as well.) 

It is always the same every year, in that the romance of the festive season always deliver the most popping of questions. So, who is getting married? 

Because of the sheer scale of festive engagements, January is usually our busiest month of the year, for new wedding enquiries and prospective new client show rounds. 

Some couples are so very obviously so excited about getting married after they have become engaged, that they simply cannot wait to proceed. In the context of Balbirnie House, with most key wedding dates already booked for weddings or otherwise with the hotel already fully booked for accommodation, many couples opt instead to reserve midweek dates, within the next year. Certainly during the summer months, we can see wedding celebrations taking place here 7 days per week.

From experience at Balbirnie House over 3 decades and more, there is something I can certainly highlight. If couples are originally considering weekend dates 'so that wedding guests will be off work anyway', well ... when midweek dates are reserved instead, we have never ever heard of wedding guests (in these circumstances) not choosing to attend the wedding. What actually happens is that the wedding simply proceeds as it would have done on a weekend date, but it brings the added benefit of very significantly better value for money. (Balbirnie House has always offered flexi-pricing depending on time of year, and day of week.)

We underline, to a certain extent flexi-pricing depending on day of week may also be applicable across the span of some of your wedding suppliers as well. 

When our wedding planning team revised and updated annual wedding literature (applicable 1st May 2024 onwards), they have therefore defined scope for 'Marvellous Midweek', with pricing at £79.95 per wedding guest

If I may be so bold as to say so, I personally feel that this particular package, given what is included, represents the absolute best value-for-money that exists across the span of weddings in Scotland. And I say that in the contexts of Balbirnie House now defined for the 15th annual time in 17 years, as Scotland's 2024 National Wedding Hotel of the Year. 

Very specifically as well, we continue our midweek tradition of delivering preferential wedding accommodation pricing, from £120 per double room. We can assure you, that this is a very, Very attractive proposition for all guests who wish to stay. 

Here is the list of what is included within Marvellous Midweek: 

Our wedding literature is downloadable via our website.

To arrange an appointment to visit Balbirnie House, please E: leah@balbirnie.co.uk 

Our history has been created by delivering one very special day at a time. Please do come along and visit, showing prospective new wedding clients around the house is always amongst the most special parts of what we do. Marvellous Midweek! 💖

All best wishes, 

Nicholas 

MD Balbirnie House