Bringing one of the world’s fastest-growing sports to Crieff, Perthshire family resort Crieff Hydro has officially opened its brand-new Padel Barn.
Padel combines elements of tennis and squash and is typically played in doubles on an enclosed court, where the surrounding walls form part of the game.
It is described as an accessible and highly social format, which has been rapidly rising in popularity across the UK and abroad.
Crieff Hydro’s new facility features three purpose-built indoor courts and is now open to hotel guests, Country Club members, local residents and day visitors from 7am until 10pm daily.
Games can be booked for either 60 or 90 minutes, with up to four players per court. Racquets are provided for players, while balls can be purchased from a vending machine within the Padel Barn.
Bookings are available through the Playtomic app, allowing players to view availability and secure a court directly from their phone.
Associate director at Crieff Hydro, Richard Leckie, said: “We’re delighted to officially open Padel Barn and welcome our first players onto the courts.
“Padel is such a fun and sociable sport and one of the great things about it is how accessible it is.
“You don’t need to be an experienced player to pick up a racquet and have a go, so we hope the courts will appeal just as much to people trying padel for the first time as those who already love the game.”
Leckie continued: “Sport and activity have been part of Crieff Hydro for generations, so it feels fitting to create another way for guests, members and the local community to get active and spend time together.”
Crieff Hydro does indeed have a long-standing commitment to sport, movement and wellbeing – when Dr Thomas Henry Meikle founded the Strathearn Hydropathic Establishment in 1868, the resort was built around the belief that exercise, nature and fresh Perthshire air could restore the body and mind.
That sporting tradition has continued through the generations, with Crieff Hydro’s tennis club established in 1913 and the resort today offering an extensive programme of indoor and outdoor activities.
