For four nights, a party of up to eight guests will delight in the acres of idyllic Scottish landscape and the fascinating history of Mar Lodge Estate at this hidden retreat, Creag Bhalg.

Creag Bhalg is a beautiful ground floor cottage situated on the National Trust for Scotland's Mar Lodge Estate, with its name referring to the nearby hill rising in the middle of the Linn of Dee and Linn of Quoich. This spacious property is surrounded by 29,000 hectares of pine woodland, munros, and unique wildlife. Find this hidden gem in a secluded spot, set within a walled garden with its own pond and illuminated woodland path.

The four charming bedrooms all benefit from en-suites, with a double and a twin adjoined to an en-suite bathroom, and the other double and twin rooms accompanied by a large walk-in shower room. All rooms offer tasteful furnishings and peaceful views towards the River Dee and Glen Ey. Prepare homemade meals during your self-catered stay in the kitchen/diner, fitted with contemporary amenities and carrying on the rustic wood-panelled theme.

You will spend your days participating in a range of activities that will truly enhance your appreciation of this enchanting region. Join Federica Bertolini, otherwise known as The Italian Ghillie, for her one-of-kind Estate and Forage Walk: a slow walk in the Caledonian forest to find hidden treasures, golden chanterelles, meaty boletes, nutty hedgehog mushrooms, and brain looking cauliflower mushrooms. Then, visit the Braemar Highland Society's Highland Games Centre to experience the time-honored sporting competition with a demonstration by a professional Highlander athlete. Your stay also includes a private historical tour of the lodge, a ranger led walk with a National Trust for Scotland ranger, and a 50cl bottle of Pinewood Conservation Gin made with botanicals foraged from the wild heart of the Cairngorms specially for NTS.

Choose one evening for a special night out for two guests to enjoy a three course dinner at the Clunie Dining Room, located at the the Fife Arms, a world-class contemporary art hotel. The Clunie Dining Room showcases the art of wood-fire cooking. The interior of the restaurant has been transformed by Argentinian artist, Guillermo Kuitca. The work, titled The Clunie River Mural, has been painted in his distinctive cubistoid style that masterfully reconciles abstraction with an illusionist form of figuration.

This offer is valid through December 31, 2023. Accommodation is subject to availability, excluding Christmas, New Year's, and weekends. Tours are subject to availability at a mutually agreeable time.

Images 1-3: Creag Bhalg

Image 4 and 6: Mar Lodge

Image 5: The Italian Ghillie

Image 7: The Clunie Dining Room at The Fife Arms

Image 8: Pinewood Conservation Gin

Generously donated by The National Trust for Scotland, The Italian Ghillie, The Braemar Highland Society, and The Fife Arms