How we got here | Meet the owners of the Annandale Arms, Moffat

When we took on the Annandale Arms in 2024, it needed a lot of love. The roof was no longer watertight, the render was coming off the walls outside, and inside it was tired and dated. It still had its old fashioned charm. But forty years ago this was the hotel of choice in Moffat, and we thought it could be again.

Scaffolding across the front of the hotel, with workmen on it — The front, under scaffolding. We brought in builders for the outside.

What we started with

Tartan carpets, red curtains and wood panelling. It had been run specifically for fishing, shooting and hunting groups, some of whom we are delighted to still welcome today. But trends changed and the occupancy dwindled, so we knew the hotel's next chapter had to be different. We wanted to create a place that was relaxed and open to everyone.

The old dining room, with tartan carpet and red curtains — The old dining room.

The old panelled bar, with tartan carpet and wooden shields on the walls — The old bar.

Doing it ourselves

The builders did the outside. Inside, we did most of it ourselves. We built two bars. We replastered, stripped wallpaper and hung new paper, and painted eighteen bedrooms, the whole event space and the ground floor. Somewhere in the middle of all that, we honed our cookery skills, refined our menu, ran full speed at daily operations, and started running events.

Old butterfly wallpaper half stripped off a bedroom wall — Stripping a bedroom back.

An old bedroom mid refit, a paint roller on the table — One of the old bedrooms, mid paint.

A roll of the new thistle wallpaper lying on the old tartan carpet — The new thistle wallpaper, lying on the old tartan carpet. Before and after in one picture.

Open to all

Moffat is a stop-off town, on the main route between England and the Highlands and just off the motorway. It is a Dark Sky Town and the nearest town to the Grey Mare's Tail, the fifth highest waterfall in the UK. It is rural, but Glasgow and Edinburgh are easy to get to, so we get city people coming for a weekend in the country as well as walkers, couples, families and people breaking a long drive.

We were advised to target a select customer base. We went against that, because we wanted to create a place to stay that suits everyone, and we believe that for the most part we have done it. We love the mix of guests staying with us: couples, families, bikers, fishing enthusiasts, one night stop-offs and week-long summer breaks. It's our guests, along with our team, who bring the hotel to life and make it a vibrant and relaxed place.

When we took over, the rooms were 22% full and on some Friday and Saturday nights the restaurant served six people. Now the rooms are 73% full, and through August the restaurant averaged around fifty a night. The one thing that works against us is the front of the building. It is grand, and some people have told us they didn't come in at first because they thought we were too posh.

Once people are through the door, they like what they find. Please come in.

The restaurant now: thistle wallpaper, blue and French grey, tables laid — The restaurant now.

The food

Most of our menu, around nine dishes in ten, is made here on the premises, and we are really proud of it. We believe it sets us apart. It is really good pub food, with a few special dishes thrown in, made from the best ingredients we can get, at a price people can afford. We keep the draught beer prices on the low side on purpose, because it matters to the locals.

In season we serve dinner every single night. We are one of the few places in a small rural town that does, because we want every guest to have the same experience, whether it is a busy weekend, a slower Sunday evening or early in the week.

We serve breakfast every day too, and the menu has grown since we took over in 2024. We dropped the bed and breakfast rate when we realised some guests were paying the same for a bowl of porridge as others paid for a full breakfast. Now it is all about choice, and you pay for what you have.

Moffat

Moffat is a beautiful old spa town set in the Moffat hills, with the river Annan running parallel to the High Street just behind the hotel, a lovely walk with little falls along the way. There is a golf club with spectacular views, tennis, bowls, football and rugby clubs, Moffat Distillery, our own Moffat toffee, and some charming independent shops and eateries. Moffat really does have everything you need to enjoy your stay, whether it is short, long or a repeat visit.

Moffat has been our home for six years now, and Rob is originally from the area. We support local wherever we can. We have worked with the school, the theatre and the care home, we sponsor the local clubs, and we sponsored the running festival so that under twelves could enter for free. We are both very involved with Moffat Theatre, and Dan relaunched the town's youth theatre group in 2023.

Our team has grown a lot since we started, and many of them are students who come back to us every summer and every Christmas. We are a three star hotel, but we always try to go beyond that, and we are really proud that our reviews, and our team, show it.

The bar on a busy evening — The bar on a busy night.

Thank you for coming in. If you are enjoying yourself, the best thing you can do for us is tell someone. And if anything isn't right, please do tell us. We will always try to put it right, because we really do care and want every guest to enjoy their time with us.

Dan, Rob and the Team

The building's own story goes back to 1760. Read a brief history.

How we got here.