On Last Weekend - Crief Hydro Edition
Jan. 17th, 2014 03:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
danieldwilliamLast weekend was My Lovely Wife’s birthday. She is not usually a great celebrator of her own birthday but this time she decided to take the Captain and me away to Crief Hydro for the weekend.
Crief Hydro, for those that don’t know, is a Victorian, purpose built health spa majoring on the health giving properties of water, which has turned itself in an upmarket spa and activity centre. It has lots of rooms in the hotel and a large number of self-catering chalets and lodges. All set in typically Scottish countryside. There used to be upwards of 20 Hydros in the Highlands. There is now only One. Or maybe two.
Crief is just about in the Highlands. In the past it was where Highlanders would come to a) sell their cattle to Lowlanders, b) rob Lowlanders c) lose all the money they had made through a) and b) through c) being swindled by Lowlanders and d) taxed by Lowlanders. It’s a pretty wee town in Perthshire and I think it pretty much on the Highland Boundary Fault. Lots of black slate and white render, veiled in a swirling mist of peat smoke and fine rain and then light as if by Turner’s very hand by the Highland sun.
Crief, like a lot of my country is very, very beautiful. What a great pleasure it is to live in Scotland. I’m feeling very patriotic at the moment.
So, the three of us headed up to Crief on Saturday morning. We planned to spend Saturday and Sunday night at the Hydro and drive back first thing on Monday morning.
Rather than stay at the actual Hydro we stayed at the Murraypark Hotel. This is a sister hotel to the Hydro with full access to the swimming pools and other leisure activities at the Hydro. It is actually closer to the main Hydro building than many of the chalets. It turned out to be a much better decision than staying at the Hydro itself. The room was close enough to the hotel dining room and bar bistro that MLW and I could put the Captain to bed and then enjoy a relaxed dinner on our own with occasional strolls down the corridor to check El Capitano was still asleep. He was. Unmoving in repose.
We spent a happy few hours over two days in the nice warm pool. An hour or so at the adventure playground in the bitter but very envigorating cold. Both MLW and I had a go on the flying fox. Several goes. Some time watching the Captain take on the soft play area. He had a ride in a sort of bucket on wheels towed by a quad bike. Throw in a few walks, some board games in the room and some nice lunches and we had a lovely family weekend away. MLW and I had dinner out more that weekend than we managed in the whole of 2013. Delicous food too.
The hotel was lovely with very, very helpful and friendly staff. We arrived early. Our room wasn’t ready. We were moved to a similar room that was ready in about the time it took to type that. Warm milk for the Captain arrived as if on a conveyor belt.
We all had a lovely time. When I asked the Captain if he thought MLW had had a nice time he said “She was so smiley my thought the top of her head was going to fall off.” Which I think is a good thing.
Crief Hydro, for those that don’t know, is a Victorian, purpose built health spa majoring on the health giving properties of water, which has turned itself in an upmarket spa and activity centre. It has lots of rooms in the hotel and a large number of self-catering chalets and lodges. All set in typically Scottish countryside. There used to be upwards of 20 Hydros in the Highlands. There is now only One. Or maybe two.
Crief is just about in the Highlands. In the past it was where Highlanders would come to a) sell their cattle to Lowlanders, b) rob Lowlanders c) lose all the money they had made through a) and b) through c) being swindled by Lowlanders and d) taxed by Lowlanders. It’s a pretty wee town in Perthshire and I think it pretty much on the Highland Boundary Fault. Lots of black slate and white render, veiled in a swirling mist of peat smoke and fine rain and then light as if by Turner’s very hand by the Highland sun.
Crief, like a lot of my country is very, very beautiful. What a great pleasure it is to live in Scotland. I’m feeling very patriotic at the moment.
So, the three of us headed up to Crief on Saturday morning. We planned to spend Saturday and Sunday night at the Hydro and drive back first thing on Monday morning.
Rather than stay at the actual Hydro we stayed at the Murraypark Hotel. This is a sister hotel to the Hydro with full access to the swimming pools and other leisure activities at the Hydro. It is actually closer to the main Hydro building than many of the chalets. It turned out to be a much better decision than staying at the Hydro itself. The room was close enough to the hotel dining room and bar bistro that MLW and I could put the Captain to bed and then enjoy a relaxed dinner on our own with occasional strolls down the corridor to check El Capitano was still asleep. He was. Unmoving in repose.
We spent a happy few hours over two days in the nice warm pool. An hour or so at the adventure playground in the bitter but very envigorating cold. Both MLW and I had a go on the flying fox. Several goes. Some time watching the Captain take on the soft play area. He had a ride in a sort of bucket on wheels towed by a quad bike. Throw in a few walks, some board games in the room and some nice lunches and we had a lovely family weekend away. MLW and I had dinner out more that weekend than we managed in the whole of 2013. Delicous food too.
The hotel was lovely with very, very helpful and friendly staff. We arrived early. Our room wasn’t ready. We were moved to a similar room that was ready in about the time it took to type that. Warm milk for the Captain arrived as if on a conveyor belt.
We all had a lovely time. When I asked the Captain if he thought MLW had had a nice time he said “She was so smiley my thought the top of her head was going to fall off.” Which I think is a good thing.
no subject
Date: 2014-01-17 03:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-17 03:59 pm (UTC)If you are ever thinking of going to the Hydro I recommend the Murraypark. It was significantly cheaper than staying at the actual Hydro with little loss in utility.