Richard Watt enjoys a weekend break in and around St Fillans and Loch Earn
When it comes to parts of the UK with a reputation for wild beauty and adventure, you don’t have to go much further north than Highland Perthshire.
Water dominates the landscape and the lives of its inhabitants, trickling through the heather underfoot or gushing in torrents through scenic villages, towards the sea.
Once a visitor has decided on the reason for coming, between action and repose or a mix of both, their next decision is just where to use as a base camp.
On the eastern edge of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Loch Earn is the source of the River Earn, which joins the River Tay near Bridge of Earn, with a number of fine destinations available to stay.
The Four Seasons Hotel offers a mixture of fine dining, traditional accommodation and idiosyncrasy in spades on the loch’s banks at St Fillans.
The hotel began life in the early 19th Century connected to the quicklime industry, and has been in several hospitable hands since the 1900s.
Restaurateur Andrew Low and manager Mary McDiarmid have been in charge since 1999, and have focused on forging a name for food and hospitality while maintaining a three-star AA rating.
There are a number of quirks within the traditional-looking hotel – dogs are welcome anywhere but the dining room, along with “well behaved” parrots, cats, gerbils and other pets.
The owner’s dogs, Sham and Pagne, are a constant reminder of this welcome policy.
A Victorian snug library boasts a collection of most western philosophers and literature from Aristotle to Aquinas – but a long stay may be required to read Nicomachean Ethics. A giant teddy bear and selection of board games would also help keep families company at night.
An affection for world travel is evident in the art and furniture of most public rooms, including a (former) Bangkok opium bed in one lounge.
Our double room was large, well-appointed with modern amenities and free wifi, and overlooked Loch Earn.
Set on its eastern shore, the hotel allows for inspiring views in the early summer as the sun sets over the hills above Lochearnhead in the other direction.
Mr Low and his staff serve up a selection of contemporary Scottish food in the Meall Reamhar as well as the adjacent, more casual Tarken café bar.
We tried the two AA Rosette menu – seared hand-dived Hebridean king scallops with belotta chorizo, fennel, haricot bean and pancetta broth; and ceviche of Orkney salmon and scallop to start, followed by pan-fried monkfish with garlic-infused king prawns, and semi-cured chicken breast with madeira jus and dauphinoise potatoes.
Although the ingredients are opulent, the cooking is without fuss and well presented. With a window view, this was the apex of riverside dining.
As welcoming a place to stay as this is, the surroundings beg to be explored and it would be a pity to ignore the variety of leisure options on the water and in the hills.
For those who want to get even closer to the wet stuff, Lochearnhead Water Sports Centre offers activities including windsurfing, water skiing, canoeing, and inflatable rides.
The area around Loch Earn is a walker’s paradise up hill and on the flat, with the public path network connecting Glen Ogle and St Fillans. Guides are available with difficulty and time ratings. In the other direction, Glen Lednock near Comrie also guarantees a range of beautiful scenery.
At 985m, Ben Vorlich to the south of the loch is a popular climbing spot for visitors due to the spectacular views from the top of Loch Earn and the surrounding national park.
Reasonably experienced anglers can expect a decent return of brown trout from forays by boat, although the limit is four fish per rod.
Back on the water, the area’s most famous resident is a beautiful sculpture by artist Rob Mulholland, Still, which stands in the shallows of the loch.
Made of mirrors, the humanoid figure constantly reflects the light and the play of rippling water, rocks on the beach and the changing conditions.
The statue has been placed in front of the hotel jetty, looking southwest down Loch Earn, and is a stop for tourists heading north.
Venturing out, up the A85 and then northeast on the A827 into Stirlingshire, Killin to the west of Loch Tay gives visitors a number of shopping and sightseeing destinations.
Its dramatic entry is at Falls of Dochart which is crossed by a stone bridge and overlooks the MacNab clan’s burial grounds.
For those with young families, Auchingarrich Wildlife Centre in Comrie is the perfect combination of animal sanctuary, soft play and playpark for a fair day.
There is enough to keep kids happy for the whole day, with live feeding demonstrations dotted from open to close. The on-site café is somewhat expensive for larger groups, so carloads should take a packed lunch.
My little one particularly enjoyed getting to pet newly-hatched chicks in one enclosure.
The area around Loch Earn is a sanctuary for those in search of peace and calm reflection, or with a thirst for derring-do among the hills and lochs.
Info
The Four Seasons Hotel is based in St Fillans off the A85/A84 between Callander and Crianlarich and is handily placed both to visit Perthshire’s “Big Tree Country” attractions or shop in Callander, Crieff and Perth.
Rooms cost from £64 per person per night bed and breakfast (not all rooms have loch views) and a three-course meal from the Rosette menu with drinks would cost a couple from £70.
Visit www.thefourseasonshotel.co.uk or call 01764 685333 for more information.
