Saorsa 1875, the UK’s First Vegan Hotel, Perthshire
Nearest airport - 35 minutes from Dundee
Saorsa 1875
Surrounded by 2 acres of natural woodlands and lush gardens, Saorsa 1875 overlooks the town of Pitlochry in Perthshire. Saorsa 1875 is a boutique hotel with a difference, as it’s the only vegan boutique hotel in the UK and its focus is on showcasing ethical luxury.
Owner Jack McLaren-Stewart, co-founder of the UK's first vegan hotel, was once a big meat eater, but having ditched animal products in favour of a plant based lifestyle, he, along with his mother Sandra has opened Saorsa 1875 where everything from the restaurant menu to the electricity supplier is certifiably vegan.
There’s been a massive boom in the past five years in the number of people in the UK classifying their diet as vegan and numbers have quadrupled to 600,000, according to the Vegan Society. This healthy lifestyle habit has now spilled over into travel as consumers turn their minds and lifestyles towards more sustainable living.
Saorsa 1875 isn’t just designed for vegans, vegetarians and the plant-curious, after all it’s not much to ask to go a couple of days without meat or dairy when the food on offer is so delicious. Not only that the slow-living, slow-eating concept adopted at Saorsa 1875 gives us all a much needed break from hours in front of the computer and the hectic pace of every day life.
The 11 bedrooms are each unique and individually styled with a relaxing combination of luxurious bed linens, bohemian styling and antiques, there’s a little nod to hippy chic going on here too. Furniture has been sourced from antique and flea markets and up-cycled wherever possible, creating a boutique hotel that's both eco-chic and luxurious.
Downstairs, the sitting room and restaurant is a cosy spot for relaxing by the fire. The menu at Saorsa 1875 is 100% plant-based, showcasing local, seasonal and foraged produce complemented by craft beers", an interesting wine list and speciality cocktails. The cocktail bar is stocked with plant-based products as are the minibars in the rooms. The eco-friendly ethos goes the whole ‘hog’ (sorry vegans!) with cruelty-free, vegan bath and body products, eco housekeeping products and the greenest UK electricity supplier Ecotricity (the building is heated with energy-efficient electric heating).
The restaurant is headed up by Italian chef Luca Sordi and features a five-course plant-based menu inspired both by the owners’ travels and by the seasonal local ingredients. Dinner is served in a communal dining area (not everyone’s cup of herbal tea), as part of a nightly supper club. One-off vegan chef collaborations (though you don’t need to be labelled a vegan chef to be able to create mouth-watering vegan dishes) are in the pipeline to provide guests with fabulous one-off dining experiences.
Book Saorsa 1875 here.