Made in Chelsea – and refreshed in Perthshire
AS A model and former Made In Chelsea star, I live a very fast-paced life. So when I arrived at the Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire to enjoy three days of its ESPA Life programme, it was good timing: I’d had two quite big nights out and it was definitely time to detox.
The flight from London was very quick, and with the hotel about an hour’s drive from Edinburgh Airport, it was all very easy. As our car took us there and the city gave way to the most amazing views, we felt so lucky to have escaped London and to be somewhere so breathtaking.
I was with my good friend, TV presenter Zara Martin. The idea was to really take time out of our busy lives (though we would still be working via our phones a little bit, and Instagramming, of course).
Already a fan of ESPA products, having visited their spa at the Corinthia hotel in London, I thought it would be nice to experience the ESPA Life system away from my home ground.
The spa at Gleneagles is award-winning so I couldn’t wait to see what it had to offer. The ESPA Life programme is tailor-made to your needs. You fill in a questionnaire before you arrive so they know a bit about your lifestyle and can figure out what treatments are best suited to you. They can be geared towards any issues to do with your health: sleep, fertility, weight management or menopause. We chose a detox aimed at ridding our bodies of toxins.
We had two personal training sessions, which were great. They left us feeling as if we’d had a really tough workout, so we followed them by sitting in the special hydropools in the spa. It feels as if you’re getting a full-body massage with jets of water. The ESPA Life treatments were very carefully planned. On the first day, we had a tailor-made 90-minute appointment with the spa naturopath, and discussed the use of Chinese medicine techniques. I had acupuncture and cupping, which although rather uncomfortable, was definitely worth it.
We had colonic hydrotherapy, which is highly recommended on a detox, and I also alternated between hot and cold showers and sat in the sauna and steam rooms. There was a relaxation room too.
While we wanted to be really healthy during our stay, it was hard to fully detox with so much amazing food on offer. There are five restaurants on site – four in the main hotel and one, The Deseo, specifically for spa guests. So while breakfast from The Deseo would be something healthy such as scrambled eggs or smoked salmon and lunch was something like grilled chicken with quinoa and vegetables or a salad, we allowed ourselves to cheat in the evenings with a big dinner. There was wonderful stuff on the menu, such as lobster and Chateaubriand steak. When we weren’t in the spa, we spent the rest of the time in our beautiful suite, which had its own living room. We didn’t get dressed most of the time and were lazing around in pyjamas or robes – like most of the other guests there.
Although I went with a friend, this would make a really romantic place to travel to with a partner, especially in winter as there are roaring fires and beautiful views. After our three days, I felt really refreshed. I’d love to return to ESPA Life at Gleneagles – I’d go twice a year to detox if I could.
Rooms at Gleneagles start at £245 per night for a classic double, including breakfast and use of The Club leisure facilities. ESPA Life treatments start at £90. Visit gleneagles.com or call 0800 389 3737.