ESCAPE DUN ALUINN

Book into this elegant Perthshire bolthole for luxurious pampering in gorgeously stylish surroundings

- Miriam Methuen-Jones

Very occasionally, you come across a place that gives you a glimpse into another world, and you wonder if people actually live like this. It turns out, yes, some do. Luxury travel covers a broad spec trum, but the sector in general has a focus on personalisation, along with mental and physical well-being. Dun Aluinn is Perthshire’s answer to this need for indulgence. From the moment you step through the doors, you’re spoiled rotten – but there’s nothing about this exclusive-use holiday house that feels pretentious, not even when we’re greeted by our well-dressed butler, Alister, who gives us a tour of the Victorian building. Since it’s just the two of us to stay (it can accommodate a party of 18), we have the pick of the nine bedrooms. Each one has its own unique yet cohesive style. Mine has a Japanese soaking tub in the corner and panoramic views out over the hills.

Later, over a home-cooked meal (the catering is usually provided by near-neighbours Ballintaggart Farm), John Burke, Dun Aluinn’s co-owner, explains that the building has been through many incarnations over the years, and was a school boarding house at one stage back in the 1900s. When he and wife Susie Whyte purchased the place, it needed a great deal of love and attention to give it the kind of refined luxury it has today.