Looking for a place for his family to have fun and recharge their batteries, David Dalziel travelled to Perthshire and uncovered a real gem
When you cram so much into a holiday, it’s very hard to know where to begin when writing a review. But that’s Perthshire for you – it has so much on offer.
Whether it’s golf, mountain climbing, cycling, fishing, eating out or just relaxing, this area has it all.
It also has a vast array of accommodation options, from the splendour of Gleneagles to the simple pleasures of a caravan park. And we decided to base ourselves at somewhere in between those two options, spending five wonderful nights at Grand Eagles, just outside Auchterarder.
Grand Eagles is a 100-acre park boasting 72 high-specification lodges. These lodges are the height of luxury and feature piping hot power showers, large en-suite double bedrooms, integrated kitchen appliances and surprisingly high ceilings. They are incredibly spacious and offer a lovely home from home.
My family and I were delighted with our Thistle Lodge. It was recently bought by businesswoman Lynn Cairns, we were only the second guests to stay there and enjoy all of Lynn’s homely touches and sumptuous furnishings.
As well as enjoying a holiday, many people are looking to these lodges as a sound investment. Prices for the lodges range from £85,000 to £195,000, with the company which owns the park guaranteeing a rental income of at least £15,000 in the first year for those buying a new lodge in 2017. And many of these properties are not what you would expect. I was lucky enough to have a snoop around one of the top-of-the-range lodges and it looked like something out of a rap star’s video: crystal-ball lights on the ceiling, stepped bath and wall-mounted plasma TV in the bathroom.
We were only staying for a long weekend however, but could certainly see ourselves returning again and again, such was the quality of the stay.
Despite only being a mile or so from the busy A9, the only noise you can hear at the park is that of the birds singing and the river gently flowing. It is a real haven for anyone looking to escape the strain of city life.
Away from the lodges – should you wish to tear yourself away – we found plenty of activities to fill our days and keep our two young children happy. First up was a trip to Active Kids Adventure Park, at Stanley, just north of Perth.
We spent an entire day there and our car was the only one left in the car park when we finally managed to tear the children away from such attractions as go-karts, a pirate ship, an obstacle course, giant inflatable pillows, farm animals, trampolines and so much more.
A highlight for my daughter was seeing two young lambs being fed, and she was very excited to discover there was a competition on the park’s website to name the lambs. We decided they should be called Tig and Tag!
The park also has a great indoor soft play area and a bustling cafe where you can refuel after a busy morning’s activities and take a breather before doing it all over again in the afternoon.
Never ones for a quiet life, we also made the short journey to Comrie Croft, an award-winning green destination featuring a farmstead hostel, group accommodation, camping, Nordic katas, walking trails, wildlife viewing and some of the best compact mountain-biking in the country.
A must for all biking enthusiasts – like my daredevil son – Comrie Croft offers 16 kilometres of graded trails, a fun skills park, onsite rental service and well-stocked bike shop and workshop. Rentals can be by the hour, half or full day, and they have bikes ranging from balance bikes to high-end full-suspension mountain bikes and some Ebikes.
As well as the biking, my daughter and I had a lovely time feeding the hens with bags of feed from the centre, and we also bought some free-range eggs to take home and remind ourselves of the experience.
Possibly the highlight of our holiday came at a delightful little restaurant in Auchterarder named Delivino.
Being only a mile from the lodge, we decided to walk to this charming place – so we could enjoy a glass of wine with our meal.
We did just that as we savoured some delicious food and ended up spending an entire afternoon at the restaurant, such was the relaxed atmosphere and quality of the fare.
After a warm welcome from the friendly and knowledgeable staff, we scanned the menu and asked for some recommendations. I was told the garlic chilli prawns were a firm favourite with the locals – to such an extent there was uproar when diners thought the prawns had been removed from the specials menu. They had merely been moved to the main menu as a permanent feature, however they now appear on both menus just to keep everyone happy.
As promised, they were delicious; nicely flavoured, not too filling and with a little kick courtesy of the chilli. A good place to start.
My vegetarian wife was delighted to find something she had never seen on a menu – avocado, mango, cashew and chilli pate with toast. She thought this was a wonderful combination of flavours and the clean plate was testament to this.
The young ones enjoyed their starters of bread with dipping oils.
Struggling to decide between lots of tasty sounding salads, pastas and pizzas, I once again sought direction from the waitress who informed me the goats cheese pizza is one of their bestsellers. This was good enough for me, but I plumped for the pollo pizza, which came with goats cheese and red peppers, while my seven-year-old son belied his beanpole stature by ordering – and devouring – an adult-sized hot smoked salmon sandwich with lemon mayo, dill and leaves.
I was slightly concerned he may be overwhelmed with the flavours, but he ate every last morsel before declaring: “That was the best sandwich I have ever tasted.” He then sank into his chair with a contended smile on his face. One happy customer.
My pizza was delicious, with the goats cheese worthy of mention. While my wife’s choice of Delivino’s take on beans on toast was a winner. A selection of pulses smothered in the restaurant’s own tomato sauce, served on chunky bread with rocket, this was not your typical baked beans on toast, and is another popular choice with the locals.
Incredibly, we still had room to share a couple of desserts; the Belgian chocolate cheesecake was rich and moreish, while the hot chocolate brownie did not last long.
Gin lovers would be in their element here too, with a specials board showcasing the best of Scottish produce, including the Perthshire 75 – Prossecco with raspberry gin.
We spent a good three hours enjoying the food, wine, laid-back music, relaxed ambience and friendly staff. Delivino would not look out of place in any major city, so the good people of Auchterarder are lucky to have this gem to call their own.
Back at Thistle Lodge, it was time to relax and enjoy some simple holiday pleasures. A game of swing-ball on the balcony, paddling in the crystal-clear river that runs alongside the park, and football on the long stretch of grass, all in the splendour of the Perthshire countryside.
As family holidays go, this one was certainly up there, and the children have been asking when we can go back to Grand Eagles. I have assured them it won’t be too long.
HOLIDAY FACTS
To book Thistle Lodge for a short break visit www.thistlelodge.me.uk or call 07791 566858. Prices start from £95 a night. You can also book this and any other lodge by calling Eddie McCabe at Grand Eagles on 07734 055574 or by e-mailing grandeagles@btinternet.comFor details on ownership opportunities visit www.grandeagles.co.uk, www.lochmanor.co.uk or contact Eddie.
Delivino, High Street Auchterarder. 01764 670140
Active Kids Adventure Park, Burnside Farm, Stanley, PH1 4QB. 01738 827286, info@activekidsadventurepark.co.uk, www.activekidsadventurepark.co.uk
Comrie Croft, Braincroft, by Crieff, PH7 4JZ. 01764 670140, info@comriecroft.com, www.comriecroftbikes.co.uk, www.comriecroft.com
