At the start of our mountain bike / island hop adventure in Scotland, we stayed at the Three Glens an eco-getaway in unspoiled Dumfriesshire, overlooking the village of Moniaive and with beautiful 360-degree views of rolling green hills. This luxury eco house benefits from ground source and solar thermal heating, with an air heat recovery system, triple glazing and a turf roof. It lies approximately an hours drive from Carlisle and Glasgow, and 1.5 hours from Edinburgh.
The welcome
We were warmly welcomed by Julie upon arrival. Although owned by Neil and Mary Gourlay, the home is actually overseen by Julie, her gamekeeper husband, Steve, and their 11-year-old black Labrador, Willie.
The room
This small home has just 4 en suite bedrooms 2 doubles and 2 twins which can be booked individually or as a whole. Situated at the bottom of the home, they are close to downward facing-slope of the hillside, close to ground level yet with excellent views across the valley.
The bathroom
The bathroom has a rolltop bath, separate wet room area with shower and Apothecary toiletries.
The facilities
The main house has an open plan kitchen, dining and living room which leads outside to a decking area which is a lovely spot to have afternoon tea and looks out to where the sun sets on an evening.
Other nice touches
The property is almost a cross between self-catering accommodation and a hotel (if that makes sense!). You have freedom to the roam around the property but are well and truly looked after. Julie ably oversees both breakfast and evening meals and much of the produce used is grown in the grounds of the home. Pictured below is a beef stew with Parmesan potatoes and pak choi, and a chocolate and caramel mousse with home-grown strawberries.
Cost
Dinner, bed and breakfast starts from £145 per person per night.
The final verdict
An excellent base, catering for guests with a wide range of interests whether it be simply walking or cycling, or perhapsmore specialist pursuits such as fishing, shooting or exploring art, history and wildlife, with a particular focus paid to eco-friendly living.
Disclosure: The above formed part of a luxury Scotland mountain bike trip sponsored by Caledonian MacBrayne, Ridgeback and Madison.
Paul Johnson is Editor of A Luxury Travel Blog and has worked in the travel industry for more than 30 years. He is Winner of the Innovations in Travel ‘Best Travel Influencer’ Award from WIRED magazine. In addition to other awards, the blog has also been voted “one of the world’s best travel blogs” and “best for luxury” by The Telegraph.
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2 Comments
I love the look of these unique little hideaways in the countryside. Very charming and looks like a great ‘family’ atmosphere.
I’ve never wanted a house in the country quite so much as I do now great article! Also looking for a holiday in Scotland this summer, so I’m definitely on the lookout for places like this.
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The welcome
We were warmly welcomed by Julie upon arrival. Although owned by Neil and Mary Gourlay, the home is actually overseen by Julie, her gamekeeper husband, Steve, and their 11-year-old black Labrador, Willie.
The room
This small home has just 4 en suite bedrooms 2 doubles and 2 twins which can be booked individually or as a whole. Situated at the bottom of the home, they are close to downward facing-slope of the hillside, close to ground level yet with excellent views across the valley.
The welcome
We were warmly welcomed by Julie upon arrival. Although owned by Neil and Mary Gourlay, the home is actually overseen by Julie, her gamekeeper husband, Steve, and their 11-year-old black Labrador, Willie.
The room
This small home has just 4 en suite bedrooms 2 doubles and 2 twins which can be booked individually or as a whole. Situated at the bottom of the home, they are close to downward facing-slope of the hillside, close to ground level yet with excellent views across the valley.
The bathroom
The bathroom has a rolltop bath, separate wet room area with shower and Apothecary toiletries.
The facilities
The main house has an open plan kitchen, dining and living room which leads outside to a decking area which is a lovely spot to have afternoon tea and looks out to where the sun sets on an evening.
Other nice touches
The property is almost a cross between self-catering accommodation and a hotel (if that makes sense!). You have freedom to the roam around the property but are well and truly looked after. Julie ably oversees both breakfast and evening meals and much of the produce used is grown in the grounds of the home. Pictured below is a beef stew with Parmesan potatoes and pak choi, and a chocolate and caramel mousse with home-grown strawberries.
Cost
Dinner, bed and breakfast starts from £145 per person per night.
The final verdict
An excellent base, catering for guests with a wide range of interests whether it be simply walking or cycling, or perhapsmore specialist pursuits such as fishing, shooting or exploring art, history and wildlife, with a particular focus paid to eco-friendly living.
Disclosure: The above formed part of a luxury Scotland mountain bike trip sponsored by Caledonian MacBrayne, Ridgeback and Madison.
I love the look of these unique little hideaways in the countryside. Very charming and looks like a great ‘family’ atmosphere.
I’ve never wanted a house in the country quite so much as I do now great article! Also looking for a holiday in Scotland this summer, so I’m definitely on the lookout for places like this.