A RARE RETREAT
Scandi-style lodges bring the romance to Arran’s favourite hotel as Auchrannie give couples the chance to leave the real world behind and enjoy delights of life on the island
IF you know Arran, the chances are you know the Auchrannie resort. And if you’ve stayed at Auchrannie, you’ll likely know the score.
There’s a choice of accommodation and you can choose from one of their stylish and comfortable hotel rooms or book into a spacious lodge.
On top of that, there’s the spa and leisure centres and a range of top-notch restaurants and for the kids, there’s The Playbarn to keep them entertained.
It’s no wonder it’s a draw for families.
But now there’s a very special place for couples too. A place where you and your other half can escape and forget the outside world – Auchrannie style.
The Couples Retreats opened at the beginning of June and is the latest fabulous addition to the resort’s portfolio.
There are just six small, perfectly formed retreats with wood fired hot tubs on your own private patio where you can enjoy unrestricted views of the glen.
And, as you would expect from Auchrannie, no detail has been overlooked.
My husband and I were lucky enough to be one of the first to stay in these Scandi-style wooden spaces and enjoyed a couple of quiet nights away from the real world.
The retreats are set just a few minutes walk from all the hotel’s facilities but there’s a mini kitchen in case you don’t fancy leaving your slice of paradise. And it is a wrench to leave. It’s beautifully decorated in a minamilist and yet cosy style and has all mod cons.
The lounge has a wood burning stove, flat-screen TV and views to die for. There’s also free wifi, Alexa is there to deliver your music and there’s thermostaticallycontrolled underfloor heating.
Not that it was required when we stayed in the middle of Scotland’s heatwave.
On the patio you’ll find a fire pit and your own private hot tub, which is just big enough for two.
I popped the Prosecco and sat in the sunshine watching the sheep lazily graze in the field while man made fire to heat the outdoor bath. He was in his element, as was I. The hot tub takes about two to three hours to get to the required temperature, so if you plan to use it, get your fire going when you arrive.
By the time we hopped in, it was like a bath. In fact, it was a bit too hot for the ambient temperature that day.
There might have been a kitchen but we weren’t there to cook.
Instead, we were booked for dinner in the hotel’s seafood restaurant, the Brambles Seafood
+ Grill for dinner. Andy had oysters followed by mussels while I went old-school with the chippy style battered fillet of North Sea haddock with handcut chips and homemade tartare sauce, which was delicious.
The next day, we decided to haul ourselves away from our little piece of heaven and see what the island had to offer.
Andy was keen to climb Goatfell, Arran’s highest peak, but I convinced him instead to do a gentler walk up Glen Rosa, which gives views of Goatfell’s craggy peaks. It was a decent compromise. You walk up a track until you reach the “blue pool”, which is ideal for a dip and the scenery is stunning.
After working up an appetite, we drove down to Lamlash and had lunch with friends at the Pier Head Tavern. They have a great rooftop terrace where you can dine alfresco and take in the views over to the Holy Isle. As the sun beat down on us it was like we were on our summer holidays in a hot country.
After dinner in the eighteen69 Scottish tapas bar back at the Auchrannie – plates of delicious grub like squash, sweet potato and spinach ravioli with a smoked Arran cheddar glaze, sweet & sticky chicken with crispy kale and garlic nuggets and roast sprouts and chestnuts with sage butter – we waddled back to our retreat.
Because we had brought the car over, we decided to spend the final day taking in the island’s splendour from the roadside. We set off from Brodick and headed north in the blazing sunshine.
The beautiful village of Corrie is picture perfect, Lochranza is where you’ll find the Arran Distillery and can take a tour and try their wares and the views from Pirnmill made it the perfect place to stop for a brew.
Machrie Bay on the west coast is a great spot to take Instagram-ready snaps with no filter before you snake down to Blackwaterfoot, overlooking Drumadoon Bay.
We stopped for lunch at Kildonan Hotel, where we ate outside enjoying panoramic views before heading back to Brodick.
As we boarded the ferry home. we reflected on an amazing couple of days that had allowed us to relax and unwind in true style – Auchrannie style.