ONCE one of four hotels located in the historic town of Coupar Angus, The Red House Hotel is the last of its kind to remain standing.

Now well-known by golfers worldwide for being central to some of the most iconic courses in Scotland, the hotel was originally built in the 1800s to accommodate the influx of visitors arriving from the town’s newly-constructed vibrant railway station. The hotel was even aptly named ‘The Railway Hotel’ at the time, due to its prime location next to the railway line.

After the trains ceased to run, the hotel was demolished and turned into a potato supplier but in 1980 the site, along with the railway yard, was bought by brothers Norman and Telford Bannerman, who redeveloped the venue back into a hotel under its new name The Red House Hotel, and re-opened its doors to guests in 1980.

The hotel still remains in the hands of the Bannerman family today.

Whilst Norman is still involved in the business today, his Uncle Telford sadly died shortly after the hotel first opened.

For the past 20 years, Norman's son Alan has taken over the reigns of Red House and has invested over £400k in the family business. He works alongside his siblings, Ian and Susan, and mum Moyra.

Since it's redevelopment, the hotel has proved a very popular spot for golf enthusiasts who have easy access to some of the country’s most iconic golf courses including St. Andrew Carnoustie and Gleneagles - which are all within an hour away from the site. Golfers are able to choose from a wide variety of locations including heath, lochside, parkland and scenic highland courses thanks to the hotels competitively priced play and stay golf packages.

In 2016, Red House Hotel was recognised by the golfing industry when it won the award for Best Golf Hotel (20 rooms or less) from Scottish Golf Tourism Association.

But the hotel isn’t just ideal for avid golfers.

Its location means it is only a short drive from the vibrant cities of Perth and Dundee and less than a hour away from the spectacular views of the Scottish Highlands, meaning there is never a shortage of things to do or sights to see.

If you don't fancy venturing away from the hotel however, you can still find plenty of on site activities including a state of the art on-site gymnasium, full sized snooker tables and even the onsite indoor squash court which can be used by hotel guests as well as members of the public.

One thing you can be sure of after a stay at Red House is that you will not be leaving its doors hungry.

Under Head Chef Nigel Liston, the hotel offers a full day menu, with hearty dishes made with ingredients sourced from a range of local Perthshire suppliers.

I opted for the pan seared fillet of pork medallions, which were tender, juicy and plump and coated in a creamy smoked cheese and bacon sauce.

When in Scotland it only felt fair to try a local delicacy for a starter, so I chose the Cullen skink - a thick soup made of smoked haddock, potatoes and onions which was full of flavour.

Other tempting offers on the menu included the classic roast Angus beef served with horseradish gravy and vegetables or for something lighter there was the crispy skinned fillet of Sea Bass.

All the desserts were tempting, but we opted to share the Red House's homemade sticky toffee pudding, served with butterscotch sauce. It was divine.

For those wanting a taste of the local restaurants, only a ten minute drive away in Blairgowrie is the Bannerman's sister business, The Dalmore Inn, with is overlooked by Head Chef Iain Naismith.

Originally a small hotel which had fallen into a state of disrepair, Alan carried out a major £1m refurbishment to transform the building into the stylish yet traditional Scottish country restaurant it is today. A especially nice rustic touch was the cowhide seating.

I ordered the classic steak, haggis and ale pie or 'haggis, tatties and neeps' as its otherwise known from The Dalmore's broad menu. A generous portion included a hearty pie packed with seasoning and flavour with a crumbly texture and served with a meaty gravy, which complemented the pie perfectly.

Although not typically something to wash down haggis with, I couldn't resist trying restaurant's own hand-craft label gin known as Dalmore and distilled in Perthshire. Designed to be reminiscent of the forest floor, the flavours are minty fresh and crisp and go down with a satisfying kick.

We stayed in a twin room views overlooking the main road in and out of Coupar Angus, but there was little to no noise from outside. The room came with all the facilities you need including a kettle, teas/coffees and naturally, Scottish shortbread.

From my trip to the Red House Hotel I realised that although the quiet setting of Coupar Angus might not be a known hot spot, its prime location on the doorstep of some of the country's most scenic and bustling locations makes it a truly ideal place to rest your head and get the most out of what Scotland has to offer - and believe me it's a lot!

Red House Hotel, Coupar Angus, Perthshire, PH13 9AL. The hotel is open for bookings now on www.red-house-hotel.co.uk.