We love Perthshire. We have spent a good few family holidays there enjoying its scenery, its people, its food and its many tourist attractions.
So I jumped at the chance of spending a couple of nights in a beautiful cottage on the Atholl Estates.
Blairinraish West Cottage was our cosy hideaway. Accessed up a winding track from Ballinluig which tested my inner rally driver, it has stunning views across Strathtay.
Prime Highland Perthshire
The Atholl Estates cover roughly 145,000 acres of prime Highland Perthshire.
Self-catering accommodation ranges from large Victorian shooting lodges, converted farmhouses to cosy cottages like Blairinraish West. Many of the properties have “regulars” — guests who keep coming back year after year
Our one-bedroom cottage was a delight. Renovated in 2022, it is beautifully furnished with many antiques and artworks from the estate collection and tastefully decorated, with everything you could possibly need for an enjoyable and relaxed stay.
Next door is Blairinraish East, an equally beautiful two-bedroom alternative, also renovated last year.
Our own red squirrel
We arrived with just enough daylight left to appreciate the glorious views and secluded setting. Stunning.
Also awaiting us was a very generous selection of Blair Castle biscuits and chocolate…not to mention, our very own red squirrel! All very welcome.
The wood burning stove was all ready to light, and we settled down for our first night. The bed….did I mention the magnificent carved four-poster?! A very comfortable night’s sleep ensued.
Sadly the morning dawned damp and dreich. It was January after all. Undaunted, we headed for Aberfeldy (a favourite spot), which was only 20 minutes or so drive away.
Coffee and cake ensued at The Watermill before we headed up the A9 to the House of Bruar for a spot of lunch.
And then it was back to Blairinraish.
The Heroic Hike
The rain had started to ease, so I donned waterproofs etc for what shall henceforth, in Perthshire myth, legend and folklore, be known as “The Heroic Hike”.
A concerned Mrs Mac watched me disappear into the mist up Tulliemet moor from the cottage window. I shouted in my best Captain Oates voice: “This is something I must do…for Courier readers.”
Mrs Mac gave me a knowing look. She does that a lot, for some reason, and then headed off to fire up the iPad to check my insurance policy for any “gross stupidity” payout exclusion small print.
There are lots of lovely walks on the Atholl Estates, detailed in the guest information pack. I chose to head up the hill on the farm track past the Blairinraish cottages towards Loch Broom, which is around three miles away.
The rain eased a little and I did enjoy the walk and beautiful scenery, though I didn’t make it as far as Loch Broom.
Rugged, fearless adventurer
I even bumped into some of the locals, cresting a hill to be surrounded by some fairly surprised sheep. I like to think they were awestruck at the sudden appearance of this rugged, fearless adventurer, untroubled by the elements.
Though more likely they wondered what a ginger fool was doing up their hill in the rain.
I also stopped for a fine chat with a farmer who also fell into the ginger fool camp, I suspect.
As I descended back to Blairinraish I felt more than ready for a dram in the cosy living room in front of the roaring stove. Mrs Mac seemed relieved and mildly surprised that I had made it back alive.
Post dram, I then filled the Olympic sized bath in the rather splendid bathroom where I luxuriated for far too long. It’s important to decompress after a Heroic Hike…
We left the following morning as the sun made a welcome appearance.
Both Mrs Mac and I had been wowed by the cottage and its beautiful surroundings. We were sorry to be leaving and could easily see why many guests return year after year to Atholl Estates.
Guests on the estate have free access to the magnificent Blair Castle, open April to October. Always well worth a visit.
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