Travel: Crieff Hydro, Crieff

TAKE children away in sunny weather to open spaces and it doesn’t matter where you are, family life can be easy. But take them away on a stormy, wet weekend when there’s no chance of getting outdoors, that’s when you really test the place you’re visiting.

When we visited Crieff Hydro the other weekend, it lashed down from the moment we got there. We have three children, aged six, four and two. This is stress-testing a place in the extreme. I am glad to say the Hydro passed with flying colours.

This Perthshire hotel is barely recognisable from the place I stayed in ten years ago. A £40 million revamp has added a modern polish to the 19th-century stonework. The Strathearn Hydropathic Establishment Company is now a smart, family resort with a very un-Victorian accent on indulgence. It is still family-owned – the current chief executive, Stephen Leckie, is the fifth generation of the dynasty to be in charge of the business.

This family feel is noticeable in the warm, relaxed response we got from the pool attendants, riding instructors and hotel staff. They cater for a wide variety of people: the weekend we were there, the hotel was host to a conference of anaesthetists, dozens of couples looking for a quiet break and plenty of young families like us. It’s a big place, so everyone finds their own niche. The hotel won Family Resort Hotel of the Year at the recent Scottish Hotel Awards.

WINING and DINING? We stayed in one of the Hydro’s 55 self-catering cottages. There is no need to bring anything, apart from food. A well-appointed kitchen is laid on, with the option of sitting inside at a huge dining table or outside on the deck (we stayed inside). We did head into the Brasserie one evening for a meal with lovely views of the trees bent double outside. We left after the two-year-old threw orange peel into the bag of a lady sitting next to us.

ROOM SERVICE? The cottage we stayed in could have slept eight people. Thoroughly modernised, it had three huge bathrooms, TVs in every room, a beautiful view over the valley below and extremely comfortable beds. There was easily room for two families to stay.

WORTH GETTING OUT OF BED FOR? The Hydro offers a huge amount of things to do. Although we were rstricted to mostly indoors, there was still plenty to occupy us. We enjoyed the indoor pool, with its inflatable slide, horse-riding at the indoor riding centre, the adventure playground and just lazing around the cottage. The children also loved the Big Country Club. For grown-ups, a spa is also on hand. Next time, we’ll get the barbecue out and enjoy the deck.

BUDGET or Boutique? A stay here is very good value, given the high spec on offer. For our cottage, the rate works out at £33.50 per person per night, based on six sharing. This includes childcare, leisure facilities and entertainment – other activities like horse riding cost extra. The cottage has all the essentials such as linen and crockery, along with other necessities such as washing powder and tea bags.

LITTLE EXTRAS? The Big Country Children’s Club is a bonus. Two three-hour sessions for children aged from two to 12 are included in the cost of the accommodation. You can even drop them at the club while you have dinner – the kind of added extra that really makes a difference.

• Crieff Hydro Hotel, Perthshire (01764 651670, www.crieffhydro.com)