Scottish Serenade - 10
There’s so much going on at Gleneagles Perthshire. As well as ongoing outside and inside events, from 4x4, golf and equestrian, plus the Burlington-type panelled shopping arcade for really good retail, there are special events. Gleneagles will, for instance, be taking part in the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 21-31 October.
This is the first season that Gleneagles has its own lake, Frandy Water. It’s renting a sealed off loch, 15 minutes' drive from the hotel. There's fishing and boating and water sports on the lake, and there's also a put-up wooden iglu sauna, from Estonia. It's marvellous. It looks like a wooden hobbit house. Inside there are facilities for six: very hot sauna (minimum 75 degrees), a relaxing room, and a changing room. It all looks extremely professional. Ben, the ghillie that afternoon, had a wicker hamper basket holding big flasks of hot chocolate, tea, and coffee, bottles of milk, and water, and protein bars. After the sauna, the party bravely ventured another 20 metres through the undergrowth down to the lake's edge where Adirondack chairs are an invitation to sit, relax, and enjoy the view.
That evening there was visit a secret place for a very powerful Gleneagles gin and tonic. No photographs and no more details allowed. It is possible, however, to describe The Birnam, a really relaxed Italian-American dinner venue. Sit near the open kitchen, or near a big fireplace with skylights over, or in a more clubby room, centered by a 360-degree bar with very comfy movable dining chairs around it. Smoked salmon, followed by lamb steak, broccoli sprigs and good mash, as well as must-be-tried French fries.
The Financial Times was under the door by 6:45 next morning. The gym - Technogym, with a good selection of equipment for today's locals - had several regulars in it a few minutes later. It's. One group of three men were doing a shared routine, moving from one to the next to the next, but in between there was a tremendous amount of gossip. It was more talk than walk. And then back to breakfast, indeed one of the world's best. Gleneagles is honestly a glorious playground, for everyone.
