They say divorce and moving house are the most stressful times in your life but I would add another thing to the list:
planning a wedding. Macdonald Hotels has cottoned on to this and offers packages suitable for soon-to-wed couples, giving you time to kick back with your other half and remember why you decided to marry them in the first place.
The hotel is a 16th-century tower house and steading which, rumour has it, was visited by Mary, Queen Of Scots. It looks like the perfect place to get away from it all, with the benefit of being only 40 minutes from Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Our cosy room was decorated in shades of chocolate brown, beige and burgundy alongside classic mahogany furniture. Feeling instantly relaxed, we prepared for dinner at the in-house restaurant, Jeremy Wares at Houstoun House.
The dishes are sophisticated interpretations of classic Scottish fare and feature ingredients such as Perthshire venison and Borders lamb. After dinner, we retired to the Vaulted Bar and its roaring fire. The world of pre-marital stress melted away and any bridezilla tendencies I had been displaying were soon forgotten, perhaps aided by the consumption of liberal amounts of Talisker and Laphroaig.
The next morning we awoke with a large appetite and returned to the restaurant to fill up with a full Scottish breakfast before heading to the spa for a morning of pampering. A mini facial and back and shoulder massage helped relieve any leftover tension, as did a long soak in the pool. We explored the 22-acre grounds before it was time to eat yet again, this time a special afternoon tea.
Coincidentally, a wedding took place at Houston House that day, helping us remember what the big day is really about - the marriage, not the wedding.
Carrie McAdam was a guest of Houston House. Packages for couples are available from £99 for per room per night including B&B, champagne afternoon tea and use of leisure facilities based on two sharing. Visit macdonaldhotels.co.uk/our-hotels/ macdonald-houstoun-house or call 0844 8799043.
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