How to do a Scottish road trip – with treehouses, lochs and Andy Murray’s hotel.

WITH the water filled to the brim of the copper bathtub, I tipped my head back so I could see the night sky.

Typically, patches of clouds were covering most of the stars but a few peeked through which felt noteworthy given completely grey skies were more common than not for this time of year in Scotland.

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It was the first night of our two-night stay at The Treehouses at Lanrick, a collection of luxury treetop lodges near the city of Stirling.

And, luckily, the rain had held off long enough for me to take full advantage of the enormous tub tucked away on the deck behind our private lodge.

Our trip had started with a train to Edinburgh Waverley from London King’s Cross with views of the North Sea along the way.

There we picked up our hire car, a fully electric Skoda Enyaq. I was apprehensive about driving an electric vehicle for the first time given that I’m used to being behind the wheel of my ancient petrol Peugeot which struggles on steep hills.

Thankfully, though, it was easy to navigate and, after getting a little bit lost down some one-way streets in Edinburgh, I managed to drive my boyfriend and me for an hour towards Stirling and our forest retreat.

The Treehouses themselves are on a private estate down a long winding drive through woodland and past fields of grazing cows.

We threw ourselves straight into holiday mode the moment we arrived with a relaxing Swedish massage outside on our deck before enjoying a barbecue with ingredients all sourced from the local farm shop.

It would have been easy to spend our trip entirely cocooned in the treehouse, curled up in front of the wood burner, but the next day was packed with activities, starting with breakfast at Andy Murray’s hotel, The Cromlix.

A short drive in our Skoda from Lanrick, a stop at the luxury hotel is a must for a tennis fan like me.

Our breakfast of smoked salmon with scrambled eggs and a few cups of coffee while soaking up the stylish surroundings was just what we needed to prepare us for our next adventure on the water.

Loch Lomond Shores has plenty for active holidaymakers from aerial obstacle courses in the trees to scenic cycling paths.

In keeping with our environmentally conscious theme, we’d decided a kayak would be the best way to see the water and get as close as possible to nature.

Braving a bracing wind and some slightly choppy waters, we managed to navigate across the loch and back without falling in.

It ended up being a serious workout on my arms but the newly built sauna back at our treehouse retreat was sure to soothe any aches and pains.

The sauna is a private pod, just a short walk from our lodge, which has a huge glass wall facing the trees and an icy plunge pool to cool down in after working up a sweat.

One thing is for sure, the team at The Treehouses certainly have the chilled-out concept nailed. If only I could stay hidden away in the woods for a little bit longer . . .

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