The Hideaway Experience, Dundee

Just 15-minutes outside the arty-cool city of Dundee and set in the rolling fields of a 650-acre barley, coo & sheep farm in the Sidlaw Hills are four luxury cabins, just for couples. Welcome to the Hideaway Experience.

If you have a desire to escape to the country then the Hideaway Experience is your new rural ideal.  With views across seemingly endless barley fields, choose between one of three ultra-modern lodges, the Dreamers, the Honeymooners, or the Lovers, or the cute and cosy (and dog-friendly) the Romantics cottage and settle into your own tiny piece of rural heaven.

Our hideaway for the weekend was The Dreamers* – our own miniature boutique hotel complete with a bathroom which could grace a five-star spa, a sauna, a wood burning stove in the bedroom, a dining table with a very big view – and all the privacy you need for a romantic weekend away. 

Owners Caroline and Ross Millar have thought of everything, even providing fresh local coffee and afternoon tea on arrival, complete with delicious homemade bread, proper butter and champagne jam.

We cracked open the chilled bottle of fizz awaiting us in the fridge, fired up the grill for steak & chips (you can order local steaks & breakfast packs in advance) and watched the sunset over Auchterhouse Hill.

Then as the night fell, out came an incredible star-scape – the dark skies over Angus mean you won’t want to tear yourself away from watching the milky way appear above your own hot tub on the terrace. As city dwellers, it was an evening of complete and utter, bliss.

…and thankfully we were there for the whole weekend.

Just check out those skies!

3 Things to do at the Hideaway Experience

If you are lucky enough to check in for a weekend (or more, I promise, one night won’t be enough!) and can drag yourself away from snuggling up watching movies from your comfy bed, occasionally dipping into the spa, then there is lots to do on your doorstep:

• Explore Dundee – Emerging from a waterfront make-over to become Scotland’s coolest design city, Dundee is a 15-minute drive or taxi from the Hideaway Experience. Art fans will love the newly opened and rather spectacular V&A Dundee, as well as Dundee Contemporary Arts and the ‘McMenace’ Gallery.
• History buffs? Explore Discovery Point, which tells the tale of ‘Scott of the Antarctic’. Foodies will love the fine dining on offer at The Tayberry Restaurant or The Newport. For lunch try Gidi Grill in the docks, or Sol y Sombra or Project Pizza.
• Visit St Andrews – across the Tay Bridge from Dundee is the home of golf, St Andrews, with its beautiful beaches, cafes and boutique shopping. Stroll amongst the St Andrews University Colleges via the Town and Gown Walk, and explore St Andrews Harbour for the best view of the town.
• Balgove Larder’s Steak Barn is a former sawmill converted into a huge dining space with their own steaks, sausages and burgers cooked in the open kitchen on a wood fired BBQ.
• Climb in the Cairngorms – the Hideaway Experience sits on the southern edge of the Cairngorms, and the Angus Glens are some of the National Park’s prettiest.
• Get outside – Climb up Corrie Fee to Mayar and Driesh, two of Scotland’s Munro for a view across the incredible plateau, or explore the tree-lined walkways of Glen Doll from the visitor centre.

Then head back to your Hideaway, and pretend that you never have to check out…

Kate Hopper

The blogger behind Love from Scotland

Love from Scotland is your guide to how to travel Scotland like a local. My name is Kate and on my site you will find everything you need to plan your perfect trip to Scotland – from destination guides to the best places to stay.

 kate@lovefromscotland.co.uk