As the weather gets colder and the nights start drawing in, we tend to stay inside more often and look for comforting activities to keep us warm and give us a boost during the dark days of winter.
We decided to visit a huge castle situated just a stone's throw from Edinburgh that has a luxurious spa hidden inside and the whole experience made us feel like a celebrity.
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For this particular treat I decided to take my mum as she always works hard and loves a spa day so on a Saturday when we were both off we drove out to Dalhousie Castle for afternoon tea, some massages and an afternoon in the spa facilities.
We were in awe of the stunning surroundings as soon as we turned into the castle's grounds. The historic fortress is set in the middle of lush green land with dozens of trees.
We started off the day by going into the spa at half ten in the morning. We were given everything we needed including towels, robes, and slippers before being shown around the fantastic facilities.
We were the first in and for about an hour we had the whole place to ourselves which felt very exclusive. The spa has a good-sized therapy pool which has a double bed underwater that turns into a jacuzzi and several other features like water jets perfect for massaging your back.
There is a large steam room that is decorated beautifully inside and a shower with all different settings like a rainforest, and cold mist spray - perfect for cooling down after being in the steam room.
The footbaths are filled with pebbles that naturally massage your feet while bathing them in the water and there is a relaxation area with breathtaking views of the grounds where you can get a cup of tea or coffee with a shortbread.
All the floors are heated in the facilities which was a brilliant touch and before leaving you can get pink Himalayan salts and oil to scrub your body with and then sit in a special room while it soaks into your skin leaving you as soft as a baby.
Unfortunately, there is no sauna but with all the incredible things to try out we actually didn't miss it that much - although I do think it is a spa staple.
We went for two back, neck and shoulder massages and were lucky enough to get the treatments in a twin room at the same time. The masseuses were great and checked that the pressure was okay before continuing, using luxurious oil they worked away months of bad posture and stress.
The day just kept getting better and better as we got ready to head through for afternoon tea. The normal room was closed so we headed to another part of the hotel which was very grand and into a magnificent dining room.
For the afternoon tea, we had haggis bon bons, a selection of sandwiches, cakes and scones with jam and cream - of course. We also had tea and I went for a coffee but it was not great so I just left that.
Feeling perfectly refreshed in every sense we headed back to the car to make the 30-minute drive back to Edinburgh. Before leaving we had some time to take in the stunning park the castle is located in and if we were to come back would definitely go for a walk first.
The whole experience was really special and felt almost like a weekend away up north despite barely leaving the city. The castle itself is wonderful and the spa had excellent facilities. We will definitely be back and left feeling like we had been celebrities for the day.
You can find out more about Dalhousie Castle and spa and book here.
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