Welcome to The Allan Ramsay Hotel

In response to the Coronavirus crisis and with the invaluable assistance of local community volunteers here are our current services:

ALLAN RAMSAY COMMUNITY SHOP

incl. Veg Boxes and fresh Meat supplies: Place an Order Now

HOT FOOD - TAKEAWAY: Place an Order Now

OFF-SALES: Place an Order Now

Or phone us on 01968 660258

PAYMENT:

Orders are to be paid in advance by credit or debit card over the phone.

For online orders we shall call you back to confirm your order and process your payment.

HOURS OF BUSINESS:

ALLAN RAMSAY COMMUNITY SHOP incl. Veg boxes and Meat Supplies :

Monday to Saturday: 12-4pm

Sunday: Closed

HOT FOOD - Takeaway and Home Delivery :
Thursday to Saturday: 5-8pm
Sunday: Closed

OFFSALES: Monday to Saturday: 12-8pm. Sunday: Closed

9 recommends

Welcome to The Allan Ramsay Hotel

Named in honour of the celebrated Scots poet - Allan Ramsay (1684-1758).

This Historic Place

The Allan Ramsay Hotel is a former coaching inn (est. 1792) located in the quaint weavers' village of Carlops, nestled at the foot of The Pentland Hills (a Scottish Regional Park) and is only 30 minutes from Edinburgh.

This unique hotel retains much of its 18th Century character with antique decorations, a small library, charming candle-lit restaurant and real log fires.

Our Rooms

The hotel has four comfortable ensuite guests rooms on the upper floor; which offer single, double, twin and family occupancy options.

There is also a lovely self-contained apartment on the ground floor with its own separate entrance. The apartment sleeps six and has one double bedroom with an ensuite shower room, a second double bedroom and a twin room plus a comfortable lounge, kitchen and a bathroom with shower. The rooms within the apartment can also be booked separately.

View our Rooms and Make a Booking.

Food and Drink

Guests staying with us can enjoy a freshly prepared breakfast served daily from 8am.

Guest Breakfast Menu.

Food is served daily from 12.30pm. Our menu is characteristically Scottish and is freshly prepared using the best 'Scottish Borders' region locally sourced meat, fish and game wherever possible. View our Menu. The menu varies across the seasons and guests are also recommended to check the chalk board for weekly Chef's Specials. To Book A Table.

To compliment your food there is a good selection of red, white, rose and sparkling wines on offer; chosen for us by the wine experts at Cockburns of Leith - Scotland's distinguished wine importers. View our Wine List.

The hotel has one of the last remaining 'penny bars' in the UK; that is a bar top decorated with one penny coins, some coins date back to Queen Victoria. Stocked with popular lagers, ciders and locally produced real ales there also is a fine selection of Scottish malt whiskies and gins

Images courtesy of Dean Woodhouse www.drwphoto.com

What Our Customers Say

beautiful Carlops

Matthias

Breakfast - Wow!!

Ted and Janice

Perfect little hotel!

Sam, Huddersfield

Excellent food, excellent place, excellent staff

Chris, Judy and Marley

Thank you for your wonderful hospitality

Thierry, Veronique, Nell, Toulouse, France

Beautifully clean and comfortable

Dale, Rose Suzie & Pele

Very enjoyable stay

Mr & Mrs Moffatt

Great hospitality

Matthias, Switzerland

lovely night and breakfast

Deirdre and Alastair fae Edinburgh

This place is a real gem

The Careys, Skelmersdale, Lancashire, England

Very impressed

Dorothy and Colin Bentley, Ireland

Fantastic stay

Daniel from London

Great stay

Les James, NZ

Food amazing

Nina & Grant

Wonderful place to rest and recharge

Diana, New York, NY

Heading home is a sadness

Simon Walton

Lovely inn, lovely people

Richard and Laura Doyle

Lovely chips!

Jayne

Enjoyable 2 night stay

Bob McKinley

Great place for an overnight stay

Brian and Wendy Hawkins

Nice hotel and lovely dog!

Padi aged 10

Thanks - had a lovely stay

Easter Sunday 2019 - Lovely Easter Break

Steve, Lisa, Tom, Theo & Pip Newman-Hall

High recommended

Our third stay we love this hotel

a cosy refuge

Andrew Marsden, Edinburgh

Lovely characterful place

John and Susan

pleasant welcome

Robbie Bryan

Great place to spend Hogmanay/New Year

Anon

So good.

Jean & Ian

perfect bedroom

Joen, Holland

A great place to stay!

Sue and Carl, Buckinghamshire

Gem of a place to stay

Duncan from Wakefield

Great hospitality

Nitti

Lovely hotel

Chris and Odette Robinson

On my 'return to' list!

Ewan, Wiltshire

Fabulous scones to indulge in. Would love to be able to stay and eat here

C.J.Simms

supper was delicious, to say nothing of the malts in the bar afterwards

Tim & Claudia, Gettendorf, Germany

stay blessed...

Guestbook comment

pleasant and relaxed...

Guestbook comment

thank you very much Rosie and Kenny

Viraj and Laci, Hungary

Lovely Easter morning in Scotland

Morna, Dublin and NY

what a great little joint

Linda & Terry Richardson, NSW, Australia

another enjoyable stay, fourth in two years.

Guestbook Comment

another enjoyable stay, fourth in two years.

Guestbook Comment

cracking atmosphere

Harry & Pauline Armstrong

Very comforting.

Guestbook Comment

great place for a contractor to stay too

Steve, Luton

loved Sam the pub dog...great place to stay

Anne, Harry, Andrew Stafford, Manchester

Lovely old inn

Jane & Bill Ironside, Fraserburgh

Excellent accueil...

Evelyne & Patrick, France

Enjoyed the local walks...

Mr & Mrs Galbraith

Breakfast great!

Guestbook comment

made to feel so welcome..

The Tait Family, Glossop, England

Lovely occasion and celebration for poet Allan Ramsay...

Helen S., Edinburgh

Very good place!

Claudia, Monika, Bruno

Loved my stay

Guestbook comment

bed was so comfortable

Steven Mitchell

gorgeous place

Suzanne

Recommend 100%

Ernest, Miami, Florida USA

Excellent hospitality...

M.J. Hardcastle, Lesmahagow

Excellent hospitality...

M.J. Hardcastle, Lesmahagow

Excellent hospitality...

M.J. Hardcastle, Lesmahagow

Auberge pleine de charme...

Catherine Patrice et Lucas, Offerrent, France

Oh it was lovely! 5*

James Nicholls

Will always use this lovely hotel as a stopover from now on.

Margaret And Ted

Really comfortable and peaceful.

Heather Ireland, Aberystwyth

Lovely historic pub/hotel in a village near Edinburgh. Extremely friendly proprietors

Guestbook comment

This is a lovely place.

Maria & Alfiia

lovely staff and brilliant manners

Susie & Iain, Edinburgh

comfy bed

Doreen & Norman, Somerset

thank you for all your hospitality

Guestbook comment

Merci Chef

Guestbook comment

Lovely stay

Bryan & Nicola Nunn, Ousden Suffolk

Wonderful hotel!

Jan, Catalonia

Very welcome at The Allan Ramsay

Mr & Mrs Mackenzie

First class

Mr. Sturrock, Dundee

never disappointed with meal or service

Mr & Mrs Brunton

Great value for money

Ms. K. Habsburg

Really nice pub / restaurant

Ms. F. Black, Edinburgh

Friendly service - welcoming.

F. Shaw, Edinburgh

loved staying here

Anne & John Williams (Wolverhampton)

a dream

F. Rose

lovely stay

Margo & Jim Grierson (Donaster)

Nice big bed...

Jakup & Lenka

Thank you for a lovely stay...

Stuart Vorzie

Fantastic, we love it.

Guestbook comment

Really enjoyed ourselves.

Jackie & Liam

A really good hotel...

Micha, Mimi, MA and Lia

Special place....genuinely warm welcome....superb grub...keep up the good works folks!

C. Gibson & C. Scrutton

dog friendly too

Simon and Jane Knight

a real home from home

Graham & Joy Knight

Exceptional!

Dave Edley, Wakefield, England

Exceptional!

Dave Edley, Wakefield, England

Exceptional!

Dave Edley, Wakefield, England

Everyone so helpful and friendly.

Ruth & Tom

Lovely stay for us and our doggies, fantastic location and lovely people

Guestbook comment

Perfect!

Richard & Sue Tyrrell, Kilmarnock

Charming place

Janine, Australia

food been amazing

Mr & Mrs Dodd, Bigginhill, Kent

an amazing find

Michelle and Martin

Who is Allan Ramsay?

Allan Ramsay

(1684-1758)

b. Leadhills, Scotland
d. Edinburgh

One of Scotland's most important historical figures.

A founding father of modern Scots poetry and writing.

Father of the Scottish Enlightenment and Romanticism alongside the great writers - Shelley, Keats, Wordsworth and Robert Burns.

Poet; collector of Scots verse and songs; bookseller; credited as having Britain’s first subscription library; founded Britain’s first art school; and author of Scotland’s first folk opera - The Gentle Shepherd - a pastoral drama written in the Scots language, set in the countryside around the village of Carlops.

There are a number of delightful walking trails near the hotel to the Scenery of The Gentle Shepherd - Allan Ramsay Heritage Trails.

Hear some of Ramsay's music.

Ramsay was greatly celebrated and reveered in his day. There is a plaque dedicated to him in Grayfriars Kirk, Edinburgh; his face is depicted on the Walter Scott monument, Edinburgh and his statue can be seen in Princes Street Gardens.

More information on Allan Ramsay by Prof. Murray Pittock.

NEW! Ramsay Edinburgh Walking Tour.

Allan Ramsay's eldest son (also called Allan) became one of Britain's finest portrait painters.

Allan Ramsay (son)

(1713-1758)

b. Edinburgh
d. Dover, England

"Ramsay’s eldest son was to become in many people’s eyes, the greatest portrait painter of the eighteenth century."

Artist; from age 20 studied in London under Swedish painter Hans Hysing; then in Rome and Naples under Fransceso Solimena and Imperiali (Francesco Fernandi).

Painted all the most famous and distinguished people of his time and rose to become Principal Painter in Ordinary to King George III.

"His paintings are full of grace and individuality; showing his excellent draughtsmanship".

His painting career was ended prematurely by a shoulder injury and from 1770 he concentrated on literary pursuits as became an important figure of the Scottish Enlightenment.

Allan Ramsay

The Collected Works Publication 2018

For the latest research on Allan Ramsay at Glasgow University