Ron and Alyson Renwick enjoying the stunning scenery at their wedding at Knockderry House.

Dear Fraser, Beth and all the wonderful staff at Knockderry…

Back from an amazingly relaxing honeymoon on Islay and beginning the process of thanking all the amazing people who made our wedding day the wonderful event it was…and we had to begin with you!!!!!

It’s difficult to put into words how wonderful you all were. Making us feel as if we were indeed royalty for the weekend!! The service from everyone, from the initial meeting with Fraser, to the day itself, was beyond anything we could have asked for and contributed to all of our guests saying they had never been to a wedding like it!

The attention to detail and the impeccable service from all the staff was just a joy to behold…nothing was too much trouble and this was something so many of our guests commented on.

The happy couple with Mum and flower girls.

The food on the day was sublime and Jonathon and his staff are to be congratulated on their amazing wedding breakfast…the canapés were much commented on as well!!

For ourselves, you all made us feel so special and the staff lining up for me as I left the hotel is something I will never forget, and the kind of touch that makes your hotel stand out from the crowd!!

The ability to give our guests a day they, and we, will never forget was also further enhanced by the FABULOUS firework display you organised for us, which left a few [myself included!] in tears!

From beginning to end, our experience with Knockderry and it’s wonderful staff is one we will treasure forever and we so look forward to coming back again and again for many more memorable stays!

From the bottom of our hearts, we would like to thank each and every one of you for your contribution to our Wedding Day.

With kindest regards and affection,

Alyson and Ron Renwick

In addition to stating arrival and departure times to and from Kilcreggan and Gourock, the timetable also lists train arrivial and departure times from Gourock Station and Glasgow Central which is invaluable information for those visiting from outwith the Kilcreggan/Gourock areas.

Visit the SPT website to view the new Kilcreggan Ferry timetable (PDF).

Most weddings held at Knockderry Country House Hotel are small destination weddings, with couples choosing to celebrate their marriage and future together with a select group of family and friends.

Small weddings have become our speciality with up to 60 guests most common, although more can be arranged with a marquee. Although there may be fewer guests, the day does not have to feel any less grand or stylish and all our weddings are uniquely handled throughout the planning process.

In fact, having a smaller number can provide you with a number of advantages:

• It is much easier to create a guest list. With just close family present, only those who really want to celebrate the day with you are present.
• You also have more control with a small wedding, although with our Wedding Coordinator on hand to assist, you are not left to organise everything yourself.
• Finally, it can be less stressful with fewer guests and you can create a day that holds real meaning for you both.

Small weddings can be beautiful and intimate. Knockderry Country House has managed wide a variety of weddings so we can help and advise you on all aspects of your wedding and reception to ensure that it is planned and executed flawlessly. So whether you are looking for a private country house wedding or an intimate venue, Knockderry House is one of the most romantic and picturesque wedding venues in Scotland.

Find out more details about weddings at Knockderry House Hotel, including Exclusive Use Weddings, Late Availability Weddings and Wedding Special Offers.

To qualify for the Certificate of Excellence, businesses must maintain an overall rating of four or higher, out of a possible five, as reviewed by travellers on TripAdvisor. Additional criteria include the volume of reviews received within the last 12 months.

We are delighted to receive a ‘TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence’,” said Beth MacLeod, owner of Knockderry Country House. “We strive to offer our customers a memorable experience, and this accolade is evidence that our hard work is translating into positive traveller reviews on TripAdvisor.”

Read about our guests’ experiences by reading their reviews on the Knockderry House TripAdvisor Page.

By the end of the night, owners Beth and Murdo MacLeod were awarded a Gold Medal for Hospitality in the Hospitality and Reception Group, and Head Chef Jonathan Evans was awarded Hotel Chef Médaille d’Or in the Food and Drink Group.

Everyone here at Knockderry House would like to express our thanks to everyone who nominated us and supported us throughout the last year as well as congratulate all the other nominees and winners.

On April 13^th, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) carried out an inspection of the vessel and shortly after it was taken out of service and was seen heading up the Clyde.

Rosneath Peninsula residents and commuters who had their travel arrangements disrupted and rely on the ferry to cross the river complained to George Freeman, Councillor for Lomond North, who contacted SPT for an explanation. It appears that the MCA had concerns about Clydelink’s Safety Management Systems and ordered further checks to be carried out.

Alternative Ferry

Clydelink do have an alternative vessel berthed at Rhu as a replacement for the existing ferry should it be taken out of service but it seemingly does not yet hold the appropriate certification to allow it to be used. As the replacement ferry was unuseable, a replacement coach service operated between Kilcreggan and Gourock.

Although the Island Princess resumed its service, passengers are seeking reassurances from SPT and Clydelink. Clydelink did say however, that they are still ‘bedding in’ the new service and plan to liaise with passengers with a view to enhancing the service.

More information about the Kilcreggan-Gourock ferry as well as views from the public can be found on the For Argyll website and those wishing to travel between Kilcreggan and Gourock by ferry can find timetables and service updates on the Clydelink website.

“I am related to the Andersons. I believe the David Anderson you refer to was David Blyth Anderson (1872-1944). His parents, John and Jessie Anderson, lived in Glasgow but I think they owned Knockderry as early as 1861 as two of their children were resident there at the 1861 census, and they used it as their summer residence. Incidentally, they were not wool merchants but cotton manufacturers and D & J Anderson is still a trade name for fine shirtings, although now produced by an Italian company.

The first owner was David Anderson (1793-1879). His wife was Anne Blyth, sister of my great-great-grandfather. He had Knockderry House built (or, as you say, bought it) in 1846 as a summer residence. His main residence was in Glasgow.

The Andersons of Knockderry House

His son, John Anderson  (1827-1911), inherited Knockderry in 1879 & extended it in 1897. Obviously very wealthy. His main residence was in Park Circus, Glasgow. 1881 census – 3 children of John Anderson & Jessie Harvie were at Knockderry, with 2 servants, while their parents were at 3 Park Circus. He had two sons, David Blyth Anderson (1872-1944) (mentioned above) and A (Alexander) Harvie Anderson (1873-1939). I’m fairly sure DBA was the elder brother, and I don’t know how he ended up at Auchengower rather than Knockderry .

A. Harvie Anderson and some of his seven sisters lived at Knockderry – by 1904 he was listed at this address. He is in telephone directories to 1938. The Misses Anderson were still there in 1940. Ida Katherine Anderson & Norah V Anderson both had some art exhibited (several mentions on the web).”

Many thanks to Mary for sharing her invaluable research and knowledge of the Anderson family of Knockderry.

Read more about Knockderry history, William Leiper, Daniel Cottier and John Guthrie.

Crab Salad

Ingredients 

450g fresh white crabmeat
40g fine breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 tbsps Mayonnaise
1 tbsps Dijon Mustard
1 tbsps lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsps chopped tarragon
50ml clarified butter
1 small shallot diced
1 red radish
Seasoning

Method

Mix crab meat, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, egg and Dijon mustard together in a bowl, add chopped tarragon and lemon, taste to check heat, sweetness and acidity and adjust. Fold in the finely diced shallot and clarified butter. Finally, check the seasoning and there you have a lovely crab “salad”. Garnish with thinly sliced radish.

Knockderry House showcases crab on its new seasonal menu (PDF). Crab Cornet in Filo Pastry with a white crab meat filling; delicious with a glass of dry Alsace Riesling.

Parsnips have a history in Britain, we have cultivated the root vegetable for at least two centuries, but at one time parsnips and carrots went by the same name.

The parsnip used to be held in very high esteem. Especially by the Romans, although they began to drop out of favour due to the introduction of the humble potato, then further out of favour as the price of sugar decreased and became more readily available. After all parsnips, with their natural sweetness were often used in place of sugar to sweeten, for example a chocolate cake.

One of the more “exotic” items we came up with at Knockderry House Hotel is parsnip ice cream, which we serve with a warm chocolate torte.

Parsnip Ice Cream

4 Egg Yolks
300ml Double Cream
300ml Whole Milk
150g Caster Sugar
2 Parsnips (peeled and thinly sliced)

Method

1. Put milk and cream in a heavy based saucepan and add the sliced parsnips
2. Boil the parsnips until soft and puree with a blender before passing through a sieve
3. Whisk egg yolks and sugar with a hand whisk, and add the parsnip mix
4. Pour slowly and whisk quickly otherwise your egg yolks will scramble
5. Cool the mix down then put it in the ice cream machine to churn but if you don’t have and ice cream machine put it in the freezer in a shallow tray and mix every hour until set.

- Robert Burns, Address to a Haggis

Haggis is a very old Scottish delicacy, traditionally prepared by the wives of the drovers and made from readily available ingredients including the ‘pluck’ (heart, kidneys and lungs) of the sheep.

Haggis would have been prepared by boiling the chopped up pluck and mincing with diced onions before simmering with toasted oatmeal, suet and salt. Finally, the tasty mince mixture would be scooped into a clean sheep stomach and boiled for around three hours.

Unfortunately, our haggis recipe is confidential but the method is more or less similar. We make our Knockderry Haggis from lambs pluck supplied by Macbeth’s Butcher in Forres near Inverness, which is diced and sealed off before adding softened chopped onions, toasted oatmeal, herbs and lots of spices. The final addition is beef dripping which is then left to simmer for around 30 minutes to allow the oats to soak up the fat.

Once the haggis is ready we check it for seasoning and pack away in logs to be served with neeps, tatties and some whisky sauce. Perfect all year round, but particularly on Burns Night.