Cross Words

Q. Any port in a storm? A. Yes, by the glass or bottle!

2011-03-21T19:16:00.001Z

We've just stumbled across this wee snippet from the Telegraph...here's a precis. It's not always that cold, by the way!

From November, the Cairngorms National Park becomes a winter wonderland, with snow regularly dusting its pine forests and capping its mountains. Britain's strongest gust of wind (194mph) was recorded here on December 19 2008. The park also has the coldest town in the United Kingdom (the thermometer fell to -17F at Braemar on January 10 1982), and last winter it had snow drifts 16ft deep...try the Cross at Kingussie, a restaurant with rooms set in four acres of Cairngorms woodland. A converted 18th-century tweed mill with eight bedrooms, it serves up hearty Scottish cooking by an open fire and there are books and board games in the comfortable lounge. Outside you can spot snow buntings and Cairngorm sparrows when walking in the beautiful Rothiemurchus estate.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/europe/uk/8087577/UK-where-to-go-storm-watching-in-Britain.html

The Cross at Kingussie Restaurant with Rooms www.thecross.co.uk

The Flying Pickets

2011-03-21T16:50:00.001Z

Last week, amidst a fresh fall of snow and for the second time in recent years, a runaway truck careered across Ardbroilach Road, through our picket fence and down the bank before its journey to the river was fortuitously thwarted by a sturdy tree!

After checking that no-one was hurt, our concern turned to some amusement when we discovered that the truck that had demolished our fence was, er, a fencing contractor's truck!

The Cross at Kingussie Restaurant with Rooms www.thecross.co.uk

Gold Stars for The Cross

2010-08-18T13:18:00.000+01:00

The Cross has struck gold in the VisitScotland quality stakes. In recognition of "its exceptional hospitality and service" it has been awarded four Gold Stars by VisitScotland and is the most recent establishment in the Highlands to have been awarded 'Gold Star' status through the national tourism organisation's Quality Assurance Scheme.

The Gold Star award was introduced by VisitScotland in 2009 to highlight establishments within its Quality Assurance Scheme that strive to exceed customer expectations and which take an innovative and proactive approach to customer care. Gold Stars are accessible to properties of any star grade and the awards recognise those establishments that show commitment to quality and service across the board, from the warmth of welcome to the final farewell.
The Cross is amongst only 74 accommodation providers in Scotland, and only 21 in the Highlands, to have been awarded the coveted Gold Stars.
The Cross at Kingussie Restaurant with Rooms www.thecross.co.uk

2009-10-11T20:58:00.006+01:00

THE CROSS AT KINGUSSIE RECEIVES THE AA WINE AWARD FOR SCOTLAND

Photo caption (l - r): Natasha Kaplinsky, host of the AA Hospitality Awards; David Young, owner; Trevor Hughes, sponsor; Katie Young, owner.

The Cross at Kingussie received nationwide recognition recently when it received the Wine Award for Scotland at the AA Hospitality Awards 2009 - 2010. The AA, celebrating the best in hospitality for over 100 years, held the glamorous black-tie ceremony, hosted by Natasha Kaplinsky, at the London Hilton on Park Lane.

David Young, owner of The Cross at Kingussie, received the award in front of a high profile audience of 800 members of the hospitality industry, including world-renowned ‘celebrity’ chefs, prominent hoteliers, hospitality gurus and key industry media. David said: “Most restaurants, especially hotel restaurants, offer wine lists that are a poor second to the food and we’re delighted that The Cross has been recognised as somewhere where the quality of the cooking can be matched with a great bottle of wine at a reasonable price”.

He added, “We work hard at putting together a unique wine list every year. The selections reflect our own tastes and many appear on our list only after we have visited the vineyard ourselves. We hope that the list offers diners the opportunity of trying something new and interesting. Our wines by the glass change regularly, we have, I think, one of the best lists of half bottles and of pudding wines in the UK, and we don’t overlook whisky drinkers either with a range of over 40 premium malts”.

“Of course, none of this would be possible without first class growers, wineries and suppliers who understand and support what we seek to achieve at The Cross and they, too, must take credit for the part they have played in our success”.

The Cross, a converted tweed mill with 8 en-suite bedrooms, is located in the lovely Highland village of Kingussie within the stunning Cairngorm National Park, surrounded by mountains, rivers and lochs. Situated in four acres of riverside grounds - with an abundance of native trees, flowers and wildlife – The Cross combines quality with simplicity and good food with a warm welcome.

AA Hotel Services Group Area Manager Giovanna Grossi said of the award “We selected The Cross at Kingussie for the Wine Award for Scotland because David and Katie’s passion for wines is clearly reflected in the carefully selected value for money list that can be justifiably enthused about and is regularly updated to feature new vintages and interesting additions.”

The Cross has also been awarded three AA Rosettes for the quality of the cooking and is now one of only twenty five restaurants in Scotland to achieve this standard. According to the 2010 edition of the AA’s Restaurant Guide “the food is both fabulous and unfussy in keeping with its surroundings”.

The AA Hospitality Awards recognise and reward the excellent services provided by the UK’s very best establishments and launches the 2010 AA guides to UK hotels and restaurants.

This year, guests at the awards ceremony were treated to a sensational three course gourmet meal prepared by three of the industry’s most highly esteemed chefs - Eric Chavot, Chris Galvin and Gary Rhodes - in conjunction with the Hilton Park Lane kitchen team. The guests also enjoyed a special performance by Britain’s Got Talent winners Diversity.

The Cross was named Scottish Restaurant with Rooms of the Year 2009 in February and is once again featured as one of Scotland’s top thirty restaurants in the 2010 edition of the Good Food Guide.

Autumn and Winter Offers at The Cross:

Three-night dinner inclusive midweek breaks from £255 per person
Two-night dinner inclusive romantic breaks from £195 per person (including a bottle of champagne)
Three-night inclusive highland hogmanay package from £490 per person

For more information about the AA Awards go to http://www.aahospitalityawards.com/
For more information about The Cross at Kingussie go to http://www.thecross.co.uk/.

The Cross at Kingussie Awarded "Restaurant with Rooms of the Year 2009"

2009-03-10T15:31:00.003Z

The Cross at Kingussie Awarded "Restaurant with Rooms of the Year 2009"

The Cross at Kingussie was handed the title at last weekend's Scottish Hotel Awards, in a glitzy ceremony held at Glasgow's Crowne Plaza Hotel. The award was presented to owners David and Katie Young and chef Becca Henderson by celebrity chef and fellow hotelier Baroness Claire Macdonald and Alex Fergusson the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament. It follows a comprehensive inspection and judging process carried out by the organisers, The Scottish Hotel Awards & Review Guides. "We're thrilled to have been honoured with such a prestigous accolade" said Katie, "it's a reward for all of our team who work so hard to maintain and improve the standards that make The Cross such a special place".

Owners David and Katie Young are delighted that The Cross has been recognised by a Scottish guide in this way. "Michelin, The Good Hotel Guide, and the AA, amongst others, have been very enthusiastic about what we have done here at The Cross in the past seven years", says David, "but it's something special when the praise comes from closer to home!"Previously winners in 2004, it's the second time that The Cross has been voted "Scottish Restaurant with Rooms of the Year" The Cross is situated in it's own idyllic four acres of riverside grounds - with an abundance of native trees, flowers and wildlife - and combines quality with simplicity and good food with a warm welcome. Built as a water powered tweed mill in the late 1800's at a time when the village of Kingussie was being developed by the local laird, The Cross maintains the character and some of the original features of the mill. Champagne is served on the terrace in the summer - and drams in one of the cosy lounges in winter. AA three-rosette award winning dinners are served by the flicker of an open fire in the stone walled and wood beamed restaurant. Menus feature carefully prepared fresh and seasonal Scottish produce and the wine list too, has been voted Scotland's best. There are eight comfortable bedrooms, all with king, queen or twin beds and spacious en-suite bathrooms including some with separate showers. Each room has TV, CD radio cube, hospitality tray, fully controllable heating, glenlivet water & arran aromatics toiletries - and in half you can nod off to the sound of the bubbling river below. Breakfasts include fresh squeezed juice, fruits & compotes, baked croissants and a daily-changing hot dish featuring produce from local farms and estates and delicacies like freshly picked chanterelles. There's a wealth of things to do in the area. Walking, climbing, mountain biking, ski-ing, boarding, off-roading, sailing, canoeing, horse-riding, sight-seeing, shopping, gliding, whisky tasting, golfing, fishing, shooting.............or just relaxing. The Cross offers special breaks in the Spring and Autumn, great Winter weekend rates, a popular three-night Hogmanay package, and promotional prices all year round.

The Cross at Kingussie
Restaurant with Rooms
www.thecross.co.uk

Truffle Hunting

2008-12-04T16:44:00.009Z

1. Tobi sniffs out the truffles...invaluable! Fantastic video clip of a working dog in Montaione, Tuscany...what a hound!

2. Truffle sniffs out the sheep...! We named him Truffle in the hope that he might be trained to find the hidden funghi, but as you can see below, he has other things on his mind!

The Cross at Kingussie
Restaurant with Rooms
www.thecross.co.uk

Winter has arrived...but all roads still lead to The Cross!

2008-12-03T14:36:00.006Z

The early November snows, followed by by some teeth-chatteringly low temperatures during the past few weeks, have finally developed into a full-blown Highland winter wonder-land. Our access roads are almost always clear and we work hard at keeping our own drive-way passable. And of course for the faint hearted (or for those who want to sit back and admire the scenery in comfort) regular trains stop at Kingussie on their way from Inverness or from London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. So there's never an excuse to stay at home. And here are some images above to whet your appetite for a winter break!

The Cross at Kingussie
Restaurant with Rooms
www.thecross.co.uk

Tuscany Report 2008

2008-10-28T16:16:00.007Z

Earlier this month we travelled to Tuscany to visit our wine supplier Villa Pillo at Gambassi Terme (http://www.villapillo.com/) to check out the recent vintage and taste some new wines. It looks like 2008 will turn out to be another good year with a healthy balance of quantity and quality. Estate Manager Pamela Trassinelli told us that they had enjoyed exceptional heat throughout the summer and virtually all their grapes were picked before the September rains arrived. We tasted (the last bottle of) an experimental Sauvignon Blanc 2007 which was very gentle and understated and we shall look forward to adding the '08 version to our list next year. We also enjoyed seeing the grapes drying as part of the process of producing Vin Santo. We also visited Badia a Coltibuono (http://www.coltibuono.com/) and Volpaia (http://www.volpaia.it/), currently estates with representation on our list, and we're speaking with Rampa di Fugnano about the possibility of importing some of their wines too. So, all in all, a successful and interesting visit.

The Cross at Kingussie
Restaurant with Rooms
www.thecross.co.uk

First glimpse of a pine marten at The Cross

2008-10-10T15:58:00.004+01:00

Wednesday 9 October 7.45am

Red squirrels, blue tits, and finches scatter in all directions as a pine marten drops in to help him or herself to the birdnuts on offer!

This is the first time in almost six years that we (and our guests in Room Eight) have had the pleasure...but with a few strategically placed dollops of peanut butter and a few jam sandwiches we eagerly await a return visit.

Apologies for the fuzziness of the photographic evidence!

The Cross at Kingussie
Restaurant with Rooms
www.thecross.co.uk

TripAdvisor. Here to stay or flash in the pan?

2008-10-09T23:58:00.003+01:00

We've seen some growth in the use of websites such as TripAdvisor and an increasing number of our guests say that they found us thro' TripAdvisor...but we have great concerns about its integrity and the accuracy of its ranking systems. We've discovered instances of hoteliers writing their own reviews, dissing competitors, or campaigning for their guests to write favourably. We've been at the receiving end of glowing reviews but also some very hurtful and unfair reviews. Is this right? Should it happen? On the other hand we do find the site useful when researching our own trips. Let us know what you think. Should we ignore all reviews, respond to all reviews, or only reply to certain types of posting?

We've added a page to our website...http://www.thecross.co.uk/TripAdvisor.htm

The Cross at Kingussie
Restaurant with Rooms
www.thecross.co.uk