Sir Andy Murray’s plans to expand his luxury hotel have been partly inspired by an Instagram-fuelled boom in afternoon tea.
Growing numbers of young people are flocking to the Cromlix in Dunblane, which is run by Murray and his wife, Kim, to enjoy a cuppa while boosting their kudos on social media.
The tennis star’s plans include a new restaurant and kitchen extension, which will replace the hotel’s current dining space, the Glasshouse, and extend the number of covers from 50 to 80.
• Cromlix review: Andy Murray’s five-star hotel in Scotland
The work, which is expected to be completed in spring 2026, also includes a “wellness cottage” where guests can have spa treatments.
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Barry Makin, hotel manager, said about 1,000 people a month visit the hotel for a traditional afternoon tea, which “has come back into fashion and looks great on Instagram”.
“We see a lot of younger people coming in for afternoon tea these days, which we didn’t have before,” he added.
Since the hotel was purchased by Andy and Kim Murray in 2013, it has undergone significant refurbishment — and welcomed thousands of guests from across the world.
“I think there has been a slowing down in domestic travel in the last couple of years but we are now seeing the return of greater numbers of US travellers,” Makin said.
The hotel attracts guests mostly from Scotland, London and southeast England, then “it’s a fairly even mix of European and US travellers”, according to the hotel manager. “This year we’ve definitely seen more Americans than we had last year, so hopefully this trend continues,” he added.
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Murray won permission for the wellness cottage only after the two-time Wimbledon winner relocated bats within the grounds.
Surveys of the building earmarked for refurbishment found evidence of roosting soprano pipistrelle bats. Bats are protected under UK law and it is illegal to kill, possess or handle them without a licence or to cause them harm or disturb their habitat.
Stirling council has granted planning permission for the building to become a wellness cottage on the condition that the bats are protected. A report from the local authority stated that the hotel needed a licence from the heritage body NatureScot and should implement mitigation measures to protect the bats before work could be carried out.
The Murrays also had to win a battle with wildlife campaigners over plans to build luxury woodland chalets to accommodate more hotel guests. The Scottish Wildlife Trust opposed the application over concerns of the effect on breeding birds, frogs and toads.
The couple held their wedding reception at the hotel in 2015 after marrying at Dunblane cathedral.
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Cromlix reopened in March last year after a refurbishment overseen by Kim Murray.
