Review: Luxury Accommodation at Three Glens, Scotland

Have you enter checked into a hotel,  B&B, apartment and just thought “This is just too good to be true”?

Well, that’s certainly the first thought that came to my mind when I arrived at Three Glens in Moniaive, around 40 minutes outside of Dumfries, Scotland.

Nestled within the three glens of Craigdarroch, Dalwhat and Castlefairn, the recently opened eco home blends in with the environment. In fact, thanks to its sloped, turf roof it’s not until you stumble onto the car park that you realise it’s even there.

We learnt from the owners (the lovely Neil and Mary who live just round the corner) that Three Glens is entirely self-sufficient, and was built using reclaimed items from the land. Electricity is taken from the nearby  wind turbine, while underfloor heating and and solar thermal water heating keeps you warm.

It’s also been sympathetically built into its surroundings, with the inside main wall joining up to the outside dry-stone wall. It’s all ridiculously clever, and I kept finding even more incredible features to coo over.

Upstairs is a huge open-air room made up of the kitchen, the dining table and the lounge. Designed to resemble more of a ski chalet, the upstairs is ridiculously cosy, and a great communal area for people to chat, make tea or snuggle up on the sofa.

The kitchen is fitted with everything you could need – even tea bags! Not that you’ll ever need to do much: a live-in member of staff takes care of breakfast and even an evening meal if you don’t fancy leaving this lap of luxury!

One of the most popular spaces in the house was, unsurprisingly, around the fire place. The curved, white wall heats up when the fire is on full-blast, meaning it’s the place to be when it’s a little nippy outside.

One thing you will notice is the lack of TV. Although there are some dotted around (in the side room snug and in each room), there’s none in the lounge area. Instead, the views from the floor-to-ceiling window over the countryside provide all the entertainment you need. If you’re lucky you might even catch some of the local wildlife, including sheep, cows and rabbits.

Despite the lack of TV in the lounge, the house is well-equipped for listening to music. You can simply plug your iPod in and listen to your tunes over the speakers. There are even speakers out on the outside dining area for the summer months.

Leaving the spectacular views to one side, the most focal point of the house is the dining table. The wine art light (I’m not sure how else to refer to it…) towers over the table, bringing the area back into the 21st century. This is yet another part of the house I would have loved to have taken home with me!

Downstairs

Down the wooden stairs the contemporary theme continues, along with some pretty fabulous wallpaper.

My boyfriend and I were given the master bedroom. The corner location of the room meant we had windows gazing out onto the countryside from two walls, plus access to the patio when the weather was playing ball.

It had a real English country feel, complete with dark oak furniture, flowers and a thick-wool blanket. The bed was even bigger than a normal double so we had plenty of room to spread out during the night without bashing into each other.Our en suite featured a monsoon shower, his-and-hers sink, and a roll lipped bath for that extra WOW factor. The old toilet flusher was a little hard to get the hang of at first, but once we’d mastered it (*cue a little Rocky-style montage*) we grew to love it. It’s the perfect  mix of contemporary with older, quaint features.

Extras

As well as a snug cinema-style room, Three Glens also has a spacious conservatory with skylights, more sofas and dining chairs. We didn’t use this room at all during our stay, but I can imagine during the warmer summer months it’s a pretty swish space to cool down while still admiring the country views.

And talking of the country views, this is what you can expect to be gazing out at for the duration of your stay…You might even get a visit from the gorgeous Stanley who belongs to Neil and Mary <3

Negatives

I honestly cannot find any faults with the house itself – I found myself repeatedly telling everyone it was the most incredible place I’d ever stayed, and I’m already planning a return trip!

The only downside some people might find is that it is a little out in the middle of nowhere. The nearest town (with a pub…and also the recording studio of Franz Ferdinand!) is a mile or so away. But ultimately, this isn’t a place you go to if you want all the city sights. It’s a place for retreating and escaping from the daily buzz, where you can put your phone and emails away and just relax.

Essential Details

• Three Glens is located in Moniaive, Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, DG3 4EG
• Stays start from £85 per person per night for room-only; £110 for breakfast; £145 for dinner
• For more information on the house, visit here