Meet The Team

Keeping it in the family. Laura is a Trainee Manager at Ballachulish Hotel and hopes to follow in her Mum Caroline’s footsteps who is Hotel Manager at Peebles Hydro. Laura finished high school not really knowing what to do next and previous hospitality experience from a part time job at school led her to our Family of Hotels. “I love all the different aspects of working in each department, the different challenges and how they all contribute to my ongoing development. I take great pride in guest experience and love creating memories for guests. Working alongside such a fantastic hardworking team here at the Ballachulish and the wider group of hotels is always an added bonus as well.” Laura also enjoys wild swimming in the surrounding lochs and Glen Etive and says “paddle boarding at the Isles of Glencoe Hotel is something I tried in summer and loved! I also am a massive seafood lover and enjoy going to the restaurants in the local area and our fantastic fish restaurant here at the hotel.”

A guitar and vinyl record collector, The Park’s Head Chef, Ryan is a massive music fan. Ryan has been Head Chef for two years but has spent almost his whole career between The Park and Peebles Hydro where he initially started as a commis chef. Ryan says “my role has allowed me to meet some fantastic people who I probably would not have met without the wider family connection. We have three different food outlets at The Park which keeps things interesting. In such a forward thinking company, we’re always looking to improve while allowing the hotel’s individual identity to shine through.” When not coming up with incredible culinary creations or hunting down the next addition to his music collection, Ryan can be found out and about with his dog at Venlaw Hill or the River Tweed

Meet Sophie, our Isles of Glencoe Receptionist with a love of bright clothes and quirky glasses. As someone who loves helping guests have a great time during their stay, Sophie clicked with the team from the word go. She says: “The location here is fantastic and Crieff Hydro Family of Hotels really considered my needs when I joined. The role is varied and there’s always a new challenge.” As a wild swimming fan, when Sophie isn’t at work, she can often be found donning gloves and boots for an invigorating dip in Loch Leven, a new hobby which has led her to make some good friends in the local village… she’s happy to take people out if they fancy giving it a try (though we’d say it’s not for the faint-hearted at this time of year).

Monika is our Outdoor Activities Supervisor, overseeing everything from archery to shooting, and has worked at Peebles Hydro for 17 years. "I don't really know how it's been 17 years, but I love Peebles and just seem to have stayed. I'm very outgoing and love meeting new people, so really enjoy my role. We often have guests who are celebrating occasions and I particularly like helping to make these events special, creating happy memories for our guests." Monika makes the most of living here with regular trips to Glentress, "one of the best mountain biking areas in the country" and the wider Tweed Valley, "there are some lovely walks which are ideal for our family and our dog."

Meet Euan, one of our receptionists at Crieff Hydro. When he’s not welcoming you to the hotel with a smile, Euan is crossing the skies of Scotland, learning to fly planes. He’s also a keen railway photographer and volunteers with the Caledonian railway (Diesel group) at Brechin maintaining old diesel trains. Euan says: “I love helping guests throughout their stay, making it memorable and joyous! My colleagues feel like family and everyone is happy to help one another and take care of each other.” In the local area, Euan frequently visits Blair Atholl castle, just up the road.

Our General Manager, Kristian has been with Crieff Hydro for 3.5 years. He initially started out as an Assistant F&B Manager in the early 2000’s and always wanted to return as GM. Kristian loves the daily challenges that make each day different, “there is a honest, open culture from the top down and we all have the opportunity to make a real difference to how the business runs and performs.” Outside of managing Crieff Hydro, Kristian loves to golf, “Perthshire has some amazing courses from the famous Gleneagles and Blairgowrie to the unique St Fillans 9 holer. Plus all team members get a discounted membership at our local fantastic Crieff Golf Club along with discounts on our very own driving range and pitch ’n’ putt at Action Glen.” A golf-lovers dream.