COUNTRY SPAS IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND
by Amanda Bown
British countryside hotel spas offer the weary traveller an opportunity to relax while soaking-up a pastoral scene and the freshest of air to give your heart and lungs a boost. I found some excellent Victorian, Edwardian, and Baronial-style Manor House hotel spas, offering English-style spa treatments, that really do de-stress the mind and body:
Bovey Castle, Luxury Hotel and Sporting Estate
Built over one hundred years ago, this striking Edwardian-style hotel is set within acres of rural surroundings overlooking Dartmoor National Park in South West England (just over a two-hour train ride away from London’s Paddington Station.) While many hotel guests struggled with cell phone network coverage, I loved the fact that there were no noisy ring-tones and beeping here.
The impressive Art Deco-style indoor pool/Jacuzzi has enormous rounded glass windows that look-out onto the gardens and surrounding Bovey Valley hills. You can watch cattle, sheep and wild horses do their thing in the nearby fields as you lap the indoor pool, or relax in the sun-lounges which are located poolside and outside, next to the hot tub.
British brand Elemis rules the spa here, and although the spa is small in size (just six treatment rooms, including one for couples), it offers various types of treatments from body scrubs combined with full body massages, to facials combined with full body massages, to body wraps and hot- stone massage combinations.
I tried the Bovey Sensory Heaven – a 60-minute signature hot-stone massage ($198 U.S. ) and found it to be very relaxing, For the men-folk, Bovey Spa offer Total Time Out For Men which includes a facial and deep tissue massage.
The hotel’s dining room serves dishes such as smoked Wood Pigeon, Ballotine of Foir Gras and Confit of Duck for starters, followed by pure-bred Devon Beef or local Venison. Local produce is sourced where possible so guests can expect a traditional English-style dining experience. The Edwardian style of this room carries through to its beautiful chandeliers and traditional paintings that adorn the walls.
For more info: Bovey Castle
Grayshott Spa
Grayshott Spa in Surrey- a suburb just outside London – is housed in a 19th Century manor house, set on 74 acres of beautiful grounds. The famous Victorian poet Lord Tennyson rented accommodation here back in 1867 in what was originally called Grayshott Farm.
Well-known for its holistic approach to health and wellbeing, Grayshott Spa offers both spa treatments and classes such as Pilates, Yoga and T’ai Chi. Treating the client as a whole is the focus.
You’ll find spa-folk wandering the grounds in fluffy white robes and comfortable slippers, joining-in on morning or afternoon walks led by a fitness instructor, or just meandering about the grounds, stopping to relax on sun lounges here and there when the mood strikes. Spa-life here feels very much like a home-away-from-home.
Guest can also enjoy delicious spa cuisine, and seek help and advice from nutritional experts. Dining in the evening offers spa guests seasonal offerings.
From a wide range of natural therapies, including holistic massages, Shiatsu and Acupuncture, I booked a Reiki treatment (from $148 U.S.). In this treatment you lie-down, close your eyes and relax while the practitioner gently places his or her hands on and around your body, and re-balances your energy. For the un-tickle-ish, Reflexology (from $100 U.S.) concentrates on the soles of the feet and uses pressure point techniques on each of the zones that correspond to the various parts of the body. Designed to heal mind and body, reflexology is surprisingly relaxing and enjoyable, but it did make me feel very sleepy afterwards so I headed to the relaxation room to indulge myself with glossy magazines and a little nap.
For more info: Grayshott Spa http://grayshottspa.com
Cameron House Golf and Spa Hotel, Scotland
Located in the Scottish Highlands with Glasgow International Airport a 30 minute taxi ride away is the Baronial-style Cameron House Golf and Spa Hotel. Set on the South West shores of Loch Lomond amidst 100 acres of woodlands, the hotel affords a view of Scotland’s famous Ben Lomond Mountain raising in the distance over 3,000 feet in height.
The spa is actually located outside the hotel grounds approx two miles away but there’s a complimentary shuttle to transport guests back and forth between the two on a half hourly basis.
Impressive in design, the spa has curved walls with one wall designed as a water feature. There are 17 treatment rooms including a couples’ room with a double jet bath.
I tried the Lavender Dreams Ultimate Kur ( about $250 US ), a full-body treatment including scrub, lavender oil massage and massage with pressure points used on my scalp, face, back, neck and shoulders, and some hot-stone action, too. The treatment incorporated the inhalation of lavender throughout – very calming.
Kurs were traditionally used in European spas as a scheduled series of treatments using natural resources such as thermal mineral waters, mud, essential oils, and herbs to enhance well-being. I also tried the Kerstin Florian’s Caviar Facial (about $260 U.S.) good for mature skin. Part of the treatment was a particularly enjoyable scalp massage where strands of my hair were pulled and ‘played with’ prompting me to fall sleep. My skin glowed post treatment, and, indeed, the next day.
The spa offers an impressive thermal experience - from the rooftop infinity pool with views of the surrounding countryside, to hydro pools, to the Tepidarium-contoured thermal couches which are gently heated. It’s worth trying-out the infrared sauna with colour therapy lighting, and the Caldarium with stone floors walls and stone seating, all heated in a dry environment. Picture windows allow you to gaze onto the golf course from nearly all of these heat experiences.
A Highland Afternoon Tea ($40 U.S.) served in the hotel lounge allows you to enjoy a wide array of sandwiches, cakes and scones with cream and jam while drinking in the views of Loch Lomond, Ben Lomond and the local wild-life is a great way to top the spa experience.
For more information: www.devere-hotels.com
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Amanda Bown is a freelance health and beauty writer currently living in Dorset,England.