The Glebe Duthil

The Glebe is near Carrbridge in the Highlands. It's that old stone house you see from the road, set back a bit. It sleeps nine, across five bedrooms. There are three bathrooms.

The house is from the 1700s. It was part of the church before it was a home, a girls' school before that. The history is in the walls. The rating is 4 Star, which fits. It's comfortable and has character, not just new.

There's a big garden, fully fenced. Behind it is your own bit of pine forest. We see red squirrels and deer in there often. There's parking for four cars.

Inside, the rooms are generous. The main bedroom downstairs is huge, with an old stone fireplace. Upstairs, the living room is the same, another big fireplace. It's a good space for everyone to be together. The kitchen is a farmhouse style, open to the dining room which looks into the woods.

The stairs are typical for a house this age. There's a step down into the dining room from the hall. Just mind your head in a couple of the doorways.

You can bring up to two dogs. We have a cot, highchair, and stairgate if you need them. Bedding and towels are included. There's a washing machine, dishwasher, Wi-Fi, and TV.

Carrbridge is two miles away. It has a pub, a couple of good cafes, a restaurant, and the old stone bridge. The village has walking trails in the ancient pine forest and an adventure park.

For a wider trip, Aviemore is about fifteen minutes by car. That's where you go for the ski slopes, mountain biking, or watersports. Boat of Garten is similar distance, famous for the Abernethy Forest and Loch Garten if you like birdwatching. Grantown-on-Spey is twenty minutes away, a nice town and the start of Speyside whisky country.

Useful links if you're planning ahead: Cairngorms National Park, National Trust for Scotland Cairngorms, and the Strathspey Steam Railway.