Tallavey Cottages

A sauna, a hot tub, a hammock and a location in the Perthshire Highlands mean you and your significant other can really relax at Tallavey Cottages. They offer self-catering accommodation with oodles of spa style – right down to the fluffy white robes you can waft about in while you’re here. A stay in one of these romantic, rural boltholes can be enhanced with a range of bookable extras from treatments delivered in your cottage to private tours of the awe-inspiring lochs and glens nearby. That’s the thing about Tallavey Cottages – they are not just a retreat but somewhere to explore from too. You’ll find them in a tiny hamlet not far from Glenshee on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park.

Owners Ian and Clare describe what they offer in these two cottages as “more than self-catering” and it’s hard to disagree. You have everything you’d expect from a cottage for two, but at every turn there’s a little bit more, including a surprising amount of space. In the bedroom, there’s an empire-sized bed dressed in Egyptian cotton. The bathroom has not only a free-standing bath and separate rainfall shower but your own private sauna as well. The kitchen – well-equipped with quality equipment – is enhanced on arrival with locally produced luxury goods, and, if you order it, a bespoke luxury hamper full of local goodies too. Outside, your private garden with views of the Strathardle Hills is finished off with that hot tub and hammock.

Often used for honeymoons and anniversary stays, Tallavey Cottages feel like a place to treat yourself, but the luxury is delivered with a refreshingly light touch. Ian and Clare have also sought to protect the local environment by making everything as sustainable as can be: electricity comes from a renewables-only provider, heat from an eco-friendly biomass boiler, and there’s an EV charging point outside. All of this has earned them a Green Tourism Gold Award, and means you can enjoy Tallavey’s luxuries guilt-free!

It all feels especially appropriate in what is such a quintessentially outdoors location. The excellent Cateran Trail passes close by and offers great walking through nearby glens. In summer, there’s kayaking on Loch Tummel, and in winter, skiing at Glenshee. Or, of course, you could stay right here at Tallavey relaxing in the hot tub. By day you might be lucky enough to spot a red squirrel or deer. By night, you can just gaze at the stars.