Wellness doesn’t have to mean a weekend prostrate by the pool

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It takes a very brave man to hand a loaded shotgun to a menopausal woman. Like all women of a certain age, I can easily find myself just teetering on the edge of unpredictable irritability – and yet, here I am, overlooking a moorland range in rural Perthshire slowly raising a 28-bore shotgun into the padded part of my shoulder.

The air temperature was hovering around freezing. I slowed my breathing, shifted my weight to the front foot and lined up the muzzle. The clay pigeon didn’t stand a chance. My aim hit a direct bullseye and the clay shattered into a dozen pieces, falling like confetti into the bracken.

My son might have joked that the thought of his mother with a gun was simply terrifying, but Yuri, a former South African game-ranger-turnedScottish “country squire”, was full of approval for my marksmanship.

I’m at the Gleneagles shooting school on an omicron-enforced staycation.

Gleneagles is perhaps most famous for its world-class golf course, but the rolling fairways and pristine greens are wasted on me. I’m with the Mark Twain school of thinking that golf spoils a good walk, and having travelled the 400-plus miles from London, I was keen to find more enjoyable pastimes.

That said, I certainly wasn’t about to succumb to hours spent supine. Despite reaching my sixth decade, I still like to fill every waking moment with high-octane pursuits, and I was keen to discover what more this millionaire’s playground could offer a 60-something fun seeker with a neverending desire to keep busy.

I browsed a glossy brochure pondering the options while sipping a gin martini – dry with a twist – in the newly refurbished Century Bar, a revolving door to a different era. Every outdoor retreat from archery to zip wire is on offer in this sprawling corner of the Ochil Hills, and I wanted to try almost all of them – apart from the obvious.

The following morning I was up early in a race with the sun to start the day. I’m used to waking at 3am, so this probably wasn’t a fair fight

– I was already in the dining room enjoying a hearty Scottish breakfast before the sun had so much as peeked over the greens. At first light, well wrapped against the winter chill, I was met at the ornate Edwardian entrance by Kim, a wellness coach.

Wellness has always been a bit woke for me – conjuring images of Gwyneth Paltrow monologuing about quirky scented candles – but my fears were mercifully unfounded. Kim, as it turns out, is also a fitness queen, and guided me on a brisk, hour-long jaunt along Drover’s Walk, a meandering trail that showcases some of the most stunning scenery Scotland has to offer.

Enjoying the majesty of the undulating Perthshire landscape without having to swing at (and frequently miss) a tiny, dimpled white ball is my kind of wellness. On the way back we chatted happily about climbing mountains and paragliding before pausing at the estate’s fishing hut where Colin, another member of the team, produced a flask filled with lobster bisque. Gleneagles has more staff than guests, with every conceivable request considered before you’ve even thought to ask. A fire was warming my hotel room when I returned from the icy walk.

At this point, relaxing in a rolltopped bubble bath might have seemed the natural conclusion for most people, but after a quick cuppa I was keen to try out the next activity.

Initially, I was a little discombobulated to learn it was a “long exhale”, a two-hour massage that involved my feet being scrubbed with a mixture of honey, salt and heather seeds followed by a full-body massage. However, far from being irritated at staying still for too long, I found I loved every blissful moment and, unusually, lost the struggle to stay awake.

Soon enough it was time to head back to the city – though no sooner had I stepped out into the falling snow, I was planning my return. Next time I’ll be taking in wild swimming and falconry, perhaps punctuated with an afternoon of fly fishing or wandering up the glen to try to catch sight of red deer through a Swarovski telescope.

I offered a cheery wave to the betweeded staff and bid a fond farewell to Gleneagles, safe in the knowledge that she understood that, where wellness is concerned, she and I are on the same page.

Rates at Gleneagles

(01764 662231; gleneagles.com) start at £475 per night based on two sharing and including breakfast. Retreats are priced separately

Covid rules There are no restrictions affecting travel between Scotland and England

Kay Burley

Worth a shot: from claypigeon shooting to a two-hour massage, Kay tried it all at Gleneagles – but she had to draw the line at golf