Travel: Croftgarrow, Highland Perthshire

Now I can add “hot tub” to that growing list of weird and wonderful wildlife-watching locations.

And “weird” was certainly the first word that sprung to mind as I waded into the outdoor Jacuzzi at Croftgarrow, a holiday cottage nestled between Loch Tay and Glen Lyon in Highland Perthshire. Wallowing in the frothing water, I cocked my head to one side and listened to a tree pipit singing behind the steading.

The highlight came after climbing out of the hot tub though, and taking a seat on a garden bench to enjoy the spring sunshine. As the lambs romped across the hillside, a dark silhouette flapped into view before turning and revealing itself as an osprey, my favourite bird of prey and my first of the season. Although the conservationist in me couldn’t quite square the idea of heating a bath of water outside the house, I’ve got to say it was a very relaxing way to enjoy the great outdoors.

Later, as the drizzle came on and went off again, we sat watching the hillside from the sumptuous sofas in Croftgarrow’s giant lounge. In the field behind the steading, a lone stag ambled his way past the garden, meandering down the glen on his twilight search for food.

The next day, we were treated to superb views of a red-legged partridge. The red-legs were introduced from continental Europe but can now be found along our east coast.

In between scanning the hillside for wildlife, we made ourselves at home in the steading’s massive well-equipped kitchen. We’d swung through the village of Aberfeldy on the way to Croftgarrow and – after dragging my wife away from the ever-popular Watermill bookshop – we treated ourselves to some sirloin steak and venison sausages from Aberfeldy Butchers on Bank Street.

We were also delighted to find a hamper from Fields of Perthshire waiting for us when we arrived at the steading, chock-full of cheeses, pâtés and other tasty treats. The shop in Aberfeldy – run by Allan and Kyra Ritchie, who also operate the Glenlyon Gourmet website – is well worth a visit, especially to try the mind-boggling range of flavoured oils that the Ritchies stock, complete with breads to dip into the samples.

To wash down the culinary delights cooked up in the kitchen, we also paid a visit to House of Menzies, the New World wine specialist based in a converted farm just outside Aberfeldy. We stuck to Australia, picking out a bottle of Mawson’s Wrattonbully cabernet sauvignon.

As the light faded and the wildlife-watching opportunities dimmed, we made the most of Croftgarrow’s impressive entertainment – Sky TV in the lounge and both bedrooms and a Bose surround-sound system that not only pumps out music or a feed from the TV into the living space, but broadcasts audio into the bedrooms and the en suite. I doubt Chris Evans’ Radio 2 breakfast show has ever sounded so good. The steading also boasts a well-stocked library and CD collection.

The newly-opened holiday croft recently earned a five-star rating from VisitScotland and it’s easy to see why with its wood-burning stove and self-closing kitchen drawers – even the toilet lid closes itself. You can pack as many pieces of top-end equipment into a cottage as you like – such as under-floor heating and separately-controlled mood lighting in each room – but it’s ultimately the service and the thoughtful finishing touches that make the difference.

So it was with Croftgarrow, where Angela Penfold – from management company Highland Perthshire Holiday Homes - met us on our first afternoon and made sure we were settled-in and knew how to work everything before doing her bit as a gracious host by leaving us to our own devices to explore the luxurious steading.

THE FACTS

A short break at Croftgarrow Steading starts from £525, tel: 07887 926347, www.croftgarrowsteading.co.uk; Fields of Perthshire delicatessen and farm shop can also deliver, 01887 820327, www.fieldsofperthshire.co.uk