Touring Scotland (Part 3)
After an early and fabulous nights sleep in one of the estate cottages (absolutely charming and the photos on our website do not do it justice!) we were met by the owner who gave us the tour of the main house and what a place! WHAT A VIEW!!!
This magnificent self catering holiday home is just perfect in every way. We honestly couldn’t fault it at all. The attention to detail is amazing; there has been no expense spared. Vicky and I were already planning our respective family holidays here and trying to decide which room we would stay in ourselves; this turned out to be an impossible task as we both couldn’t decide which one we liked the most!
It also appears there is nothing the owners cannot organise for clients – you name it, they will help and assist you in any way they can, from clay pigeon shooting to catering; they even have a wedding planner available if required! In fact it’s a very popular wedding venue and having visited the property and met the people who manage it on a daily basis, we could see why. If you want a real ‘get away from it all’ place for the family to get together, this place comes highly recommended.
After a lengthy tour of the estate and cottages (3 plus a Bothy), we then started on our journey again to the areas of Melrose and St Boswells passing through Hawick (which is a vibrant town with everything you could possibly need just 15 minutes away) and up the A7 which is a great road leading directly up to Edinburgh (stunning views all the way).
A short detour off this road, took us to our next stop down a long driveway in the heart of the countryside; we both thought, as we stepped out of the car, what a beautiful house! So grand looking, so elegant! Knocking on the large front door we were greeted by the housekeepers, Rob & Carol, and what a wonderfully warm couple they are!
Rob explained that the property had been an old family home for years, but as only a fraction of the house was being used it had been decided to let the house out for people looking for large self catering accommodation. We were given a very enthusastic tour of this new holiday home and although not grand to the scale of the property we had just visited, we were very impressed by Rob & Carol’s love of the place, which really shows as it’s immaculate inside. Vicky and I both felt this would be a wonderful large holiday home for a very reasonably priced family holiday or celebration.
On to the next visit and we drove over to Peebles (lovely town, plenty of wonderful shops (mental note to ask boss for a few more days in these parts on next trip, so we can indulge in a little retail therapy). Again, stunning scenery all the way (Vicky is very patient with me; ‘wow look at that’ and ‘wow look at this’!).
Just on the outskirts of Peebles lies this stunning country house hotel Scotts’s has had an affiliation with for the past few years. In fact, if you are looking for somewhere to take your extended family for a special celebration, this would be the place to go, and we know becuase we’ve sent several clients to it and none have been disappointed.
What another amazing place. We were warmly welcomed by the Manager with a cafetiere of delicious coffee and homemade biscuits – as we sat in the bar area, looking out at the beautiful surrounding countryside, log fire crackling away, I had thoughts of my impending vow renewals next year and how romantic it would be to have them here …… hmmm back to reality!
One thing we noticed about this hotel was just how unlike a hotel it felt like. As you drove up the drive and parked out front, gravel crunching underfoot - you enter the hotel through a porch and to us it felt like walking into the hallway of a glamorous stately home. You were greeted by neat rows of wellies for people to use, and umbrella stand and the reception was discreetly (yet obviously) in a room off the lobby. The Concierge sat not behind a big counter but at a lovely antique desk in a room that felt like a smart estate office. It all felt incredibly unpretentiously grand, as if we were in a film, playing the parts of private guests arriving for a house party.
We were given the whole tour of the hotel and it is simply stunning. The staff are so friendly with the Manager who is absolutely passionate about the place – you would be assured of a fabulous welcome and wonderful service.
The following day, over to St Boswells and our next stop – WHAT A VIEW!! This lovely country house has a real personal and homely feel with stunning, panoramic views.
Our journey then took us across to the East coast and through more stunning countryside (sorry if I keep banging on about it, but it’s true!).
Up another long driveway to a spectacular castle; another WOW!!! This serviced castle is simply amazing and so authentic, you would again think you had stepped back in time. The reception rooms are dramatic whilst the bedrooms are a comfortable contrast – yet again, the service provided is key here; the castle has a small but perfectly formed team which will cater for your every request. We spent as much time as we could here, were introduced to one of hte owners and were shown the castle and grounds by their private secretary.
And this is where our journey ends and begins with the trek back to Glasgow airport – four hours later and a few hair raising moments on the M8, we arrive at Glasgow airport, drop off the rental car and make a beeline for the bar (having checked in first) for a much deserved glass of red wine!
It’s been enjoyable diarising our trip and am already looking forward to the next one! Until next time … it’s goodbye from me and it’s goodbye from Vicky. Do give us a call anytime (well preferably not after 5pm as we do have families and young children to go home to!) we love to have a chat and what’s more we are passionate about sending people on holiday. So if you want to take your family on a self catering holiday in Scotland and are looking for something large, unique or special (or all three), give us a call on 01208 821 341 and I’m sure we’ll be able to find just the right place for you.
On a final note - Merry Christmas to you all and wishing you a healthy, happy New Year.
Cheryl. :o)