Seeking seasonal self-care in the Scottish Highlands
Ever want to hop off the speeding train of life and take breather for a while? This autumn, exhausted by life, I decide to take a leaf out of our late Queen's book and escape to the Scottish Highlands for a spot of self-care. Tucked away in a wild corner of the Cairngorms National Park, The Dell of Abernethy is a beautiful, rambling woodland estate and the perfect place to relax and recalibrate in nature.
After a difficult year navigating divorce, I found myself craving the peace and tranquility of the mountains. I would regularly visit Scotland as a child and always found it the perfect escape from myself. I picked up a hire car in Edinburgh city centre and took the scenic A9 route through the Highlands to Abernethy, on the northern fringes of the Cairngorms National Park.
I'm staying in Dell Cottage, a little haven and a stick's-throw from Abernethy Forest. Inside the one-bedroom cottage, the décor has a real mid-century vibe with oak parquet floors, tasteful vintage furniture and an old-school record player, complete with a rather eclectic collection of LPs from Joyce Grenfell to Grace Jones.
Nestled among the wilds of the Cairngorms National Park and right on the edge of the ancient Abernethy Forest, The Dell – which is only 20 minutes' drive from Aviemore – is a rich magnet for wildlife. In 2019, the BBC came and hunkered down for a few months to film Springwatch and monitor some of Scotland's indigenous wildlife including capercaillie, pine marten and red squirrel.
Within moments of arriving, I'm sitting out in the garden with a cup of coffee watching as a pair of ospreys perform their beautiful aerial ballet just for me. According to owner Polly, it's not an uncommon sight as they come over from Loch Garten, just across the way, where they dive for fish during the summer months.
We're on the fringes of Dell Woods, part of the RSPB's Abernethy nature reserve, and the largely Caledonian pine trees make good hidey-holes for the resident red squirrels. On my soundwalk through the woods – a guided playlist of sounds, songs and classical music – I keep my eyes peeled for the cheeky nut thieves and resident roe deer as I wind through the ancient woodland. Maybe its the heady scent of pine, the crisp clean air in my lungs or Polly's cleverly curated soundscape in my ears, but I can feel my cortisone levels drop to an unprecedented new low.
The Dell has been in Polly's family for generations, and now, along with her husband Ross, they have created a glorious rural retreat in the Scottish wilds with six self-catering cottages. As I was reluctant to cook, the onsite Dell Grocer is stocked with everything you could wish for from a well-mixed negroni, a bottle of local ale to a home-cooked fish pie (cooked by Polly, a trained chef) which I can just bung in the oven.
My cottage has its own enclosed garden and ‘sit-ootery’, where I drink my coffee each morning and listen out for metronome tap of the greater spotted woodpecker who lives here. By day three, I'm so relaxed I fear I may never be able to leave.
Polly has arranged a private yoga class with a local teacher, Katie White, who gently puts me through my paces until I feel zen. As a fellow cold water swimming fanatic, Katie suggests some local swimming spots for a post-yoga dip. A few minutes' drive from The Dell is Loch Garten, where the ospreys flock and the rougey iron-rich waters are still warm enough to swim in come autumn.
If I was feeling sociable, I would have perhaps nipped into The Gather Inn, The Dell's tipi-come-forest pub which opens at the weekends. Set among the trees and lit by a string of lanterns, this community space has a big firepit and hosts live music nights and supper clubs throughout the season.
This autumn, The Dell is hosting more official wintering retreats where guests can be immersed in nature and ‘tune in’ to winter with slow morning practices, evening fireside Nidra, lazy brunches and nourishing soul food. They'll also offer classes in cookery, crafting and sound meditation.
Of course, my self-care trip in Scotland wouldn't be complete without a nip of the local firewater. Part of the Cairngorms National Park takes in the Speyside whisky trail, where some of Scotland’s most acclaimed distilleries are found including Glenlivet, Macallan and Dalwhinnie. As the warming whisky heats my bones in front of the log burner, Grace Jones purring away on the stereo, the final traces of stress and exhaustion seep away and I finally feel like I can face the world again.
Book your own self-guided retreat with a stay in The Dell of Abernethy. Hire a car from Edinburgh city centre through ZestCarRental.com. Country Living also has a selection of holidays in Scotland, including island hopping around the Hebrides with Monty Halls and Edinburgh during the Tattoo in August.
You Might Also Like
