By Clare Rawlinson
Mum to a toddler and a pre-schooler, Clare has travelled extensively, experiencing everything from day spas in Paris to dodgy rooms in the back streets of Bangkok & luxury spa hotels in Asia & the Caribbean.
Being a Mum to a three year old and a 17 month old, with a husband who works at the other end of the country, ‘alone time’ has become something of a distant memory. When we were invited to spend the weekend at Stobo Castle, located just 50 minutes from Edinburgh, I quite literally jumped at the chance.
Flights are available from most UK airports at competitive prices, and with car hire from the airport starting from as little as £12 per day, don’t let the seemingly long journey put you off.
I will be honest in saying that the prospect of two whole nights of uninterrupted sleep was as exciting to me as anything else, so the fact that these two nights were to be spent in the luxurious setting of a Scottish castle was the icing on the cake.
We caught an early flight from Heathrow, meaning that we were able to hop on the tram into town to see a few sights and enjoy a relaxed lunch in Edinburgh itself. We walked along the Royal Mile up to the castle, and its breathtaking views over the city, and then popped into The Wedgewood Restaurant (Royal Mile) for a delicious and bargainous set menu with a cheeky G&T (or two…). We then picked up the hire car before making our way to Stobo, along winding roads past fields of frolicking lambs and babbling brooks.
As soon as we drove through the stone gateposts marking our destination, and began our ascent up the long driveway, we knew that we were in for a treat…
Upon arrival, we were shown to our deluxe room, and I immediately clocked the champagne on ice (available as an optional extra). Our room was simply stunning, featuring large, comfortable beds, a sweeping balcony down to the helipad on the lawns, and miniature Molton Brown toiletries in the bathroom. This would do nicely. Very nicely.
The cork was popped, and our mini break had officially begun.
We felt that it was only right to begin sampling the offerings of Stobo straight away, so we donned our ‘So Stobo’ robes, and headed to the spa. Whilst the guest bedrooms are predominantly in the oldest part of the castle, a modern extension boasts a 25m Ozone pool with loungers overlooking the Scottish borders through floor to ceiling windows, a state of the art hydrotherapy pool, a brand new sauna (with the same impressive views), a choice of steam rooms, and outdoor hot tubs.
The two parts of the building are tastefully joined with an internal courtyard, where you will find the café as well as a gift shop, along with lots of comfortable seating, making the perfect base from which to explore the facilities.
Mr R & I opted for tea, which was a far cry from my usual PG Tips (at best lukewarm having been reheated multiple times and abandoned as child-related disasters are averted) – Flora Tea was served in tall stemmed glasses, in which the rolled – up tea leaves opened up to reveal whole flowers and leaves. Well posh.
Next stop, it was time to hit the steam rooms. If you’re anything like me, one of the concerns that I always have about a new-to-be-visited spa is that it will be full of young, gorgeous, body-image-obsessed, wealthy women and ‘metrosexuals’. Even before children, I only ever fitted in to the ‘young’ part of this, and my husband being a strapping 6-foot, bearded yet balding rugby-lover is not exactly the sort of person one would associate with spas…
Luckily for us, the clientele at Stobo was predominantly made up of middle-aged ladies with their grown up daughters, and the odd retired couple. This made for an extremely welcoming environment, where we could, quite literally, let it all hang out.
Upon entering the steam rooms, there were none of the usual awkward glances around as you look for a space that is an acceptable distance from strangers. Everyone was friendly and chatty, and we felt totally at ease. This also went for the staff. They couldn’t have been nicer, or more helpful. We were greeted warmly wherever we went, and grew to recognise several faces.
The food at Stobo was amazing, and on our first night, we tucked into local beef carpaccio (pictured below), then rack of lamb and Sea Bass followed by a white chocolate and ginger pot of yumminess.
The wine list was varied, and the house wine at £17 a bottle was pretty decent too. On our second night, we each chose the delicious, melt-in-your-mouth venison – this was my first experience of venison, and I am now hooked.
For breakfast, there was a huge hot and cold buffet, and we could also choose from the a la carte menu – I went for the smoked salmon with scrambled eggs, while Mr R opted for the Scottish staple of kippers.
The meals were served between three dining rooms, and both breakfast and lunch could be taken in your robe (the adjustable nature of the robe proved to be very handy following the huge breakfast on offer!). Tea and coffee was offered next door, in the elegant looks-like-a-National-Trust-Property-but-you’re-actually-allowed-to-sit-down-here drawing room.
On the second day, we thought that we ought to make an effort to walk off some the previous night’s over-indulgence, so we strolled down to the Japanese gardens. Hidden within the grounds, we discovered a sunken world of ponds and streams connected by bridges and stepping stones, providing an oasis of calm in… an oasis of calm.
Feeling pleased with ourselves for attempting some exercise, we decided to reward ourselves with another round of Jacuzzi/steam/sauna followed by a relaxing lounge by the pool with our books before our pre-booked treatments.
Although there are several ‘couples’ treatments on offer, we opted for separate treatments – I had a Phytomer Sea Holistic Ritual, while Mr R opted for a Themae Singapore Massage. Being unable to decide between a facial, massage or hot stone treatment, I went for the treatment that offered all three!
All I can say is that it was an hour and a half of complete bliss, with well-trained therapists and opulent surroundings. As for Mr R, he hasn’t looked that relaxed since 2009 (pre house move/engagement/wedding/child 1/child 2).
As if things could get any better after this, it snowed. Not the sleety pellets that we get down in Southampton, but proper, big flakes. For me, this meant just one thing – OUTDOOR HOT TUBS!!!
I dragged Mr R outside, and, unsurprisingly, we had the hot tub all to ourselves. I was like an excited child as I sat in the tub feeling the falling snow on my hair, cheeks, tongue (!) whilst enjoying the warm bubbles. Apparently, well, according to Mr R, the feeling is slightly less enjoyable if you are missing that all-important hair, though… ;-p
(For the more active guests, there were full timetables of classes, and a fully equipped gym, as well as free cycle hire and guided walks)
Previously, our mini breaks involved trying to see as much of a city as possible within a short amount of time, running from one site to another. We used to take meals for two and conversation for granted.
Nowadays, those things are a luxury, and a spa break gave us the time to rediscover the Mr & Mrs R that have slowly morphed into Mummy and Daddy. In a world of rushing from one thing to the next, it was lovely to just… stop. (and sleep).
Stobo Castle
Rockliffe Hall Spa
Nirvana Spa
