It’s no secret that I am head over heels in love with Scotland. I often get quizzical looks when people ask where my favourite place in the world is and I answer with “Scotland.” You might be wondering what it is about Scotland that has captured my heart, mind and adventurous spirit. Quite simply, Scotland offers the antidote of the stresses of modern life.
When I’m craving time in nature there’s no place I’d rather be than the wilds of the highlands; it feeds my soul. With history and culture that oozes from traditions dating back hundreds of years, incredible castles and jaw-dropping scenery, you can see why Scotland could capture your imagination and make you want to come back again and again. I am excited to share my latest adventure in Scotland with you, this time it’s in stunning Perthshire; it has all of this and more.
Summit of Ben Lawers
Let your wanderlust go wild, watch my film and plan your own dream adventure road trip!
There’s something about Scotland
I love delving into people’s own experiences and travels in Scotland and find they commonly fall into one of three camps: Never been to Scotland but heard great things and keen to explore, been to Glasgow or Edinburgh for a city break but never been to the highlands, or well and truly on the path to becoming one Scotland’s biggest fans. Welcome all!
Perthshire can be reached within 30 mins drive from Edinburgh making it very accessible for a weekend break. I met my friend Jen at the airport, she travelled by train from Leeds, we picked up a hire car and headed off for our first activity; bungee jumping!
Morning light on Loch Tay
Live your adventure in Perthshire!
Having never tried bungee jumping before, I was a little apprehensive but the team at Highland Fling Bungee made us feel safe and supported, helping to ease any nerves! Jen went first and absolutely nailed her jump! She made it look effortless doing a beautiful swan dive from the bridge 40m towards the river below. I thought “Right, I’ve got this, how hard can it be?” Turns out VERY! The moment I stood on the edge of the bridge I felt panic rising and blacked out most of the jump. I’m glad I did it, and I’d highly recommend Highland Fling if bungee jumping is on your bucket list, but now that I’ve tried it, I can safely say that bungee jumping is something I am happy to do just once!
We spent the night at the delightful Grandtully Hotel in Ballintaggart. The moment we walked through the doors we felt at home. After a long day travelling and the exhilaration of bungee jumping, I took the chance to relax in the gorgeous bath tub whilst getting excited about the plans for the next few days with Jen.
Over dinner we learnt that Grandtully is owned and run by a brother, sister and sister-in-law team. I love supporting local, family run businesses! The food was incredible and we worked our way through a diverse menu of scallops, steak, pigeon and crème brûlée before sinking into the most comfortable beds! You really get a sense here that every single detail has been thought about and curated to create an experience that will ignite your senses and make you feel very well looked after.
A perfect day in Scotland
The following morning and day two of our adventure in Perthshire, we threw back the curtains to see blue skies and sunshine. An added bonus for October weather in Scotland, so we vowed to make the most of every second! “We’re going to climb a mountain today! Let’s go!”
Grandtully Hotel
We headed out towards Ben Lawers - the tenth highest munro in Scotland - and embarked on one of my favourite mountain days ever! That is saying a lot… We passed Loch Tay just as the morning light filtered over the mountains and hit the Loch. One of my favourite things about Scotland is how the lochs reflect the colour and mood of the sky. It was simply divine to be there in this moment.
Climb a Munro
We found Ben Lawers car park with ease, packed our bags and started on the well-marked path to the summit. As we gained height up the mountain, the views opened up. Jen and I have been great friends since we met at the University of York over 10 years ago. She’s from the Lake District, so climbing mountains and being outside is in her blood, yet this was the first time we climbed a mountain together and what a day for it! What a mountain to climb!
The views over the Southern Highlands blew us away. We had lunch with our feet dangling over the ridge with mountains stretching out as far as the eye could see. Our hike was 7 miles with a decent amount of ascent to get your blood pumping and make your body feel like you’ve had a great day out in the hills! Connect with me on Strava.
Time for some R&R
We could barely contain our excitement as we checked into Taymouth Marina for the evening. Staying in a gorgeous self-catering luxury lochside apartment aptly called ‘Ben Lawers.’ We headed straight to the Hot Box Spa for some R&R. The sun was starting to set as we enjoyed the hot tub, sauna, steam room and made full use of the slide into the loch! A big kid at heart and a total water baby, this was quite literally my dream! After a big day in the mountains and a few hours in the spa, we felt totally rejuvenated and ready for a good night’s sleep.
Sunset over Loch Tay. Yes, it was cold, but I love it!
Spa and bubbles at sunset after climbing a Munro - perfect day!
Kayaking in Aberfeldy
Our third and final day in Perthshire began with kayaking along the picturesque River Tay near Aberfeldy with Grant from Beyond Adventure. Blessed with another beautiful day, we loved being on the river and the sense of calm the water brings. We kayaked under a 300 year old bridge and listened with interest to Grant’s stories from the local area. To spice things up and throw a challenge our way, Grant took us down some white water! Under instruction to stay calm and keep paddling, we all survived without capsizing and loved it.
Sleep in a hobbit house
That evening we stayed at Craighead Farm in one of the most amazing and unique places I have ever been; a hobbit house! The owner, who has lived on the farm for 30 years and built the hobbit house by hand, showed us to our home for the evening. On the way we met his goats, sheep, turkeys and horses whilst wheel-barrowing our bags to our little yellow door. Once inside, we couldn’t get over the uniqueness of this perfect little house. The pictures speak for themselves! We cracked open a bottle of wine and sat outside watching the horses graze and the sun go down. After cooking dinner by candlelight, we lit the fire and enjoyed our last night together reflecting on how much fun we’d had in just three days exploring Perthshire.
1,752 Likes, 105 Comments - Sophie Radcliffe (@challengesophie) on Instagram: "Over the years I've slept in some pretty quirky places in Scotland but spending a night in a hobbit..."
Plan your dream trip!
If you dream of your own Scottish adventure, this is a truly amazing corner of the world waiting to be explored by you! I hope this proves to be a useful resource to help you plan your own trip and find little hideaways like Taymouth Marina, Grandtully Hotel or the Craighead Hobbit House to spend the night in. You can’t go wrong with Perthshire, I’m sure you’ll love it!
Saying goodbye at Edinburgh airport!