Let me start by saying that this is mainly down to cost in as much as , in my opinion , we didn't get what we paid for. We are self employed and cannot get much time off so weekends away tend to be an bit more "concentrated" than normal.
Having stayed in various top quality hotels around the world , we found Ballathie to be lacking in several areas but I shall try to give credit when it is due.
Arriving at Ballathie is a wonderful experience. The long driveway through an avenue of mature copper beech trees and flowering rhododendrons gives the first impression of the destination to come. The house itself is a hunting lodge rather than a country residence therefore is less grand but none the worse. We were greeted by a very pleasent German receptionist who did her job admirably. We had booked a suite in the Riverside annex and drove there rather than take up the offer of baggage assistance. Things went slightly awry at this point as we drove past some rather shabby staff accomodation followed by the sort of holiday chalets that one would expect to see in a summer camp. The annex itself is a newish structure that, from the outside, is less than appealing but does improve upon entering. Suite 7 is the last room on the ground floor so is some distance from the main door , perhaps luggage assistance was a good idea after all !! First impressions were not great, entry was though the bedroom rather that the lounge which seemed strange. Then the twin beds rather than a double may appeal to some but not to us. This was changed on the second day after we left a note to room service. The next thing to appear obvious was no minibar but I did find one eventually disguised as a chest of drawers in the lounge. sadly , the management have decided that they will no longer put anything in them. We wanted a glass of wine and in the absence of a minibar or a wine list , we ordered a bottle of the house white from reception. Such a poor quality wine it was practically undrinkable , not off , just poor quality. We also noticed a couple of intrinsic problems. The lounge is right next to the hot water pump for the building which goes on and off every 30 seconds or so but worse is the noise from the room above. Every step is heard with the floorboards creaking and groaning . We were woken several times due to the nocturnal wanderings of the guests above.
The main house and surrounding gardens are what one would expect of a Victorian mansion and cannot really be faulted.

Moving along , we went off to dinner. I'm starting to ramble so here's the abridged version -
Friday night - quality ingredients, uninspired , untrained service, ("This is a blue cheese and I'm not sure what this one is").
Saturday night - top staff were back after a day off (not sure about that but there was a marked difference in quality). Still rather uncertain service but the cheese man did at least know what one of the cheeses was. The blue cheese still being "blue cheese".
Rita , mentioned in a previous review , was charming but not well trained. This is a management problem not a staff problem.
Watch out for the wine , the empty bottle appeared in front of us along side a decanter full of red wine we didn't see it opened nor did we confirm it was the one we ordered.

Now , we did enjoy our weekend but I have to question whether Ballathie was really worth £600 for two nights (including dinner). Kirroughtree House in Dumfrieshire, to name one of many, is considerably less money and much higher quality.

It may or may not be relevant but Ballathie has had a new owner since the end of 2005. I wonder if management policies have altered the quality of what was a well respected hotel.
Would I go back ? No , it's just not worth it and with so much competion I would rather see what else is out there.
If you can get a good deal it may be worth trying Ballathie but don't bother with the Riverside Suites and don't get your hopes up about dinner.

We found the Ballathie on the web and were offered a good deal by the 4*hotel direct at £99 inc dinner, b&b. We arrived late on a cold dark wet night. The hotel is few miles north of Perth, along an enormous sweeping driveway with the beautiful 19th century building, there's plenty parking conveniently in front of the hotel. Got warm and friendly welcome by name, rooms were ready & had already reserved dinner for us.
The enormous tasteful Christmas tree in the entrance hallway was just the start. There were roaring log fires in the drawing rooms, library, dining room...just what we had wanted! The bar was well-stocked & the canopees delicious. The service at dinner was excellent whilst discreet, and we were well looked after by Rita our Latvian waitress whose husband also works in the hotel. The dining room is beautiful with old paintings and our table was in a large bay window overlooking the river & Scottish countryside. We found the food to be great value..scallops, Scotch beef fillet, rhubarb souffle all inluded in the price..there was also good choice of fish etc, and the staff were flexible about any individual requests. Wine list was also comprehensive.
Retiring to the various drawing rooms meant there was plenty space for the guests to relax in a peaceful, cosy, idyllic setting. The estates owner came in to welcome us personally & wish his guests happy christmas, which was lovely. Our bedrooms were ample-sized with good facilities - but more importantly comfortable bed, great bath & shower and well-stocked bathroom. The decor throughout is traditional 19th century country house style, but very tasteful & relaxing. Despite the big dinner, we also enjoyed the hearty Scottish breakfast, including porridge, fruit options, cooked breakfast, smokies etc. The grounds were absolutely beautiful, depite cold crisp morning.
Would recommend this place for either a week-end getaway or in our case the best kept secret for business travellers like us who are fed up with the big anonymous hotel chains! We are looking forward to returning soon, perhaps with our other halves...

We stayed (sadly just for one night) for a special birthday treat. It is a beautiful hotel, and its grounds are great for a romantic stroll through the bluebells down to the River Tay (it was May). Appears to be popular with well-heeled anglers. Excellent service, wonderful ('superior') room with our bathroom having genuine deco original features and ending in a turret. A great place to relax and spoil yourself in calm and elegant surroundings, surrounded by the rich landscape of east Perthshire, and to speculate discreetly about your fellow guests. It's not cheap though! Food very good. I wouldn't put the dinner in the 'really outstanding' category - but then our standards were high, having had another birthday treat at Skye's Three Chimneys a couple of weeks before...