WARMEST WELCOME
Roaring fire and hot tub at lodge make winter a distant memory, says Kate Foster
SITTING in the outdoor hot tub at Gamefield Lodge, with an Aga and underfloor-heated marble to greet us on our return to the main house, I felt the long shadow of winter lift. As a family, we have over the years enjoyed our share of self-catering holidays. But like most parents with small children, these have mostly been restricted to resort apartments, caravans and tents.
So the luxury of Gamefield took us all by surprise, from the roaring fire in its grand entrance hall to the beautifully furnished bedrooms and decadent public rooms.
Gamefield Lodge is a magnificent modern country house and five-star self-catering home set just outside Crieff in the Perthshire countryside. With five large bedrooms and two public rooms, as well as a huge dining room, it sleeps ten and a further four in its adjacent Indie House.
Its summer house, at the bottom of the garden where the hot tub is located, has a wood-burning stove and is the perfect place to spend an evening under the stars, whatever the weather.
We were just four on our trip, two adults and two children and so we spent the weekend indulging somewhat in this private retreat and all it had to offer.
And though the excitement of our trip did not extend much further than most families on a short self-catering break – bike rides, walks and Monopoly – its luxury left us all feeling pampered and rejuvenated.
Gamefield is owned and operated by property developer William Frame and his wife Wendy. Their vision is that the exclusive-use property is a ‘getaway from it all’, but as Mrs Frame is keen to stress it is also ‘your property when you stay there’.
‘We don’t want our guests to stand on ceremony. If you are a cook, make good use of the large kitchen with its island and Aga, gather round our dining table. Gamefield is a house designed to be full of people,’ she says.
We arrived on a Friday evening and were met by Mr and Mrs Frame who showed us round the property then left us to relax.
We were straight into the outdoor hot tub, the main attraction as far as our children Tom, 11, and Ruby, seven, were concerned, and then, once back in and dried in our white towelling bathrobes, had dinner together in the grandest of circumstances, in the formal dining room. The property has the capacity to accommodate private catering staff but we made do with pizza and pasta, thrown together by mum and dad.
The following day we took a walk in the countryside around Loch Monzievaird before heading out to dinner at Delivino, in Crieff, an Italian delicatessen and bistro restaurant.
The kids had pasta again while I loved the salad of goats cheese, chicory, walnut and beetroot and Darren had some man-food – the chorizo and pork burger in a brioche bun.
Tom and Darren wanted to explore more of the countryside so we hired bikes from Comrie Croft Bikes. They were delivered and collected again the next day using its dial-a-bike service. The mountains bikes were of a high standard and the boys went off. Ruby has just learned to ride a bike so I stayed with her, practising her new skills up and down the country lanes.
Gamefield specialises in family get-togethers such as reunions and is hosting its first wedding this year. It is also developing what it calls a ‘Magic 6 gourmet dining experience’, highlighting top restaurants in the area including Restaurant Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, Barley Bree in Muthill, Wilde Thyme at Glenturret and Yann’s, Delivino and The Lounge, all in Crieff.
BUT its location is also great for families with attractions a short drive away, including Macrosty Park, Crieff, with an extensive children’s play area and woodlands, and Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre in Comrie. Other attractions include the Famous Grouse Experience, Crieff, the Spa at Gleneagles Hotel, or Nae Limits, Ballinluig, an outdoor activity and adventure centre.
The house also offers a personal concierge service – advising on activities in the area, booking golf, arranging luxury catering services and spa treatments on site.
We left late on a Sunday night. Clearly struck by her first taste of luxury, Ruby announced on her slightly tearful departure that she wanted to come back very soon, and this time bring all her schoolfriends.
Perhaps my birthday party budget won’t stretch to that, but a return trip with more family or friends would be the perfect way to reconnect.