CALL OF THE WILD

Former endurance racer Phil Hodgkiss gave up the nine-to-five to take over a Scottish eco-retreat; we headed to the Cairngorms to make like lazy ducks...

- Andy McCandlish

I wander out the cabin door, coffee in hand, and sit on the outside sofa.

There is absolute peace in this place, surrounded by ancient Caledonian pines deep in the Cairngorms National Park. The woodland keeps any breeze at bay, yet allows a soft light to filter through to the small collection of rustic wooden cabins and camping meadow below. A wren lands at my feet and lunges for an insect before darting off. Paradise.

Before long, two bickering kids – my kids – pour out the cabin behind and the peace is shattered. They are desperate to run through the site to feed the ducks, then get into the woods to explore the trails, swing on the swings and guddle in the streams. Someone jogs my elbow and the coffee spills.

Ach well, it was nice while it lasted. They are heading off, but so am I. I lift my helmet from the table behind, zip up my jacket and push my bike up to the reception building where I am meeting the boss of the Lazy Duck, Phil Hodgkiss.

I say boss, but he is very much one of a team of two running the Lazy Duck, together with partner Sarah. Between them they rent four cabins, some of which are totally off-grid, manage a beautiful camping area, offer wellbeing activities and organise many other opportunities for visitors to disappear into an eco-friendly and thoroughly stress-relieving lifestyle. Hammocks are strung between trees through the woods, hens run free in the field and there are even bush showers – a bucket on a rope with shower head underneath – for the stout of heart. We had only stayed one night so far and were already floating around in a rapidly decreasing state of tension. The duck connection, incidentally, came from the previous owners of the site. They introduced a raucous mix of several different breeds of duck many years ago, the descendants of which are still there providing fun for families and eggs for breakfast.