What it's like to honeymoon in Scotland's coolest little cabin
Carrie Mitchell gets a true taste of the wilderness in Scotland's coolest little cabin
Photography: Department Two and Heather Birnie
It all started with an old newspaper clipping stuffed in the wallet of the guy who would later become my husband. The crumpled picture of a man taking a bath outside a wooden cabin in a rusty old tub was (bizarrely) one of his most treasured possessions. Unfolding it gingerly the first time we met, he explained that he carried it around because he couldn’t think of a better place to be – he wanted to be that guy in that moment.
Fast forward 15 years and there I am, googling Scottish cabins looking for the perfect rustic escape for us to spend a few nights after our wedding. The second I saw an image of the wood-fired hot tub at Glen Dye, I knew I’d found the place. Nestled in the forest just outside Banchory in Aberdeenshire (just two hours drive from Edinburgh), The Saw Mill offers the most authentic wilderness experience on the historic estate, which started welcoming guests earlier this year.
Owners, Charlie and Caroline Gladstone, have lovingly and stylishly converted the estate’s original buildings into chic cabins and cottages, with woodburning stoves, colourful eclectic décor and every home comfort you could possibly imagine (seriously, there’s record players, velvet sofas, faux fur throws, piles of carefully chosen books and vinyl, custom-made toiletries and candles, a welcome hamper packed with local produce, marshmallows for toasting and a character-filled guidebook personally written by Charlie). But the point of this place isn’t just to lie back and relax, it’s to get stuck in chopping wood, building fires, exploring the hills and cooking outdoors over hot coals – and it is 100 per cent up our street.
Within minutes of our arrival, I’m making an Aperol spritz in a Glen Dye branded enamel mug while my new husband is filling that outdoor tub and lighting the fire. By the time we’ve listened to a couple of records (Rumours by Fleetwood Mac and Pink Moon by Nick Drake, in case you’re interested - the Gladstones apparently have flawless taste in music as well as interiors), the water in the hot tub has reached the perfect temperature. Slipping in, we lay back and properly take in our surroundings for the first time – we’re in a bath, next to a roaring fire, in the middle of a forest, under a clear night sky, by a stream weaving its way through our very own little camp. It couldn’t be more perfect if I’d made it up.
When we begin to turn prune-like, we finally concede we should get out and eat something so we throw a couple of steaks on the barbecue then eat by candlelight before all that fresh air gets too much and we head to bed. The remodelled 1950s Airstream which is our bedroom houses one of the biggest, comfiest beds I’ve ever slept in and again, the owners have thought of everything – there’s charging stations and lamps on each side of the bed, an electric blanket, and a torch for middle-of-the-night trips to the loo (more five-star bathroom than scout camp bog).
Waking up the next morning, we already feel at home in the forest, even our dog Reuben is happier and more chilled out than he’s possibly ever been. The next few days are spent exploring the woods, climbing nearby Clachnaben, picnicking in the countryside, visiting the local farm shop, countless hot tubs and generally wishing this was our daily existence. Hopefully one day, it will be.
Two nights in the Sawmill at Glen Dye costs from £450; glendyecabinsandcottages.com