Join us at Glen Dye Cabins & Cottages, a Peter Pan place where luxury and adventure embrace like long lost friends

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Venturing off the beaten track can feel a little risky sometimes. Why aren’t there any other cars on this road? Will a characteristically frantic pheasant burst out from behind the heather? Can this old stone bridge support a car packed with two days-worth of outdoor gear and provisions? It’s 9pm and my partner and I are driving along a dark gravel road towards North Lodge, a three-bedroom luxury cottage hidden amongst Scots pine woodlands on the Glen Dye Estate near Banchory. The 15,000-acre landholding is home to 10 design-led holiday cabins and cottages renowned for their artistic interiors and enchanting closeness to nature. 

We breathe a sigh of relief when we clock golden candlelight seeping through the windows of North Lodge. What used to be a neglected rear wing of Glen Dye House is now a zesty three-bedroom holiday home comprising a large kitchen (dining area and double gas stove included), three bedrooms (two doubles and a twin), one stylish living room (made homely with blankets, baskets and cushions by Gladstone / Hellen) and two bathrooms with Laura Thomas Co. shower products that smell good enough to eat. It may be off the beaten track, but this place oozes all the class of a manor hotel. 

North Lodge has been open for nearly seven years but feels brand new; no cracked paint or dust — not even around the fireplaces in each room. Antique furniture is sourced from Praise the Hoard and Pointers Antiques, offset by decorative modern art from the likes of Edinburgh’s BARD and Berkshire’s Dreweatts 1759. Hunting souvenirs, taxidermy and vintage portraiture add provenance to the colourful genre-hopping scheme. 

“The Glen Dye properties are stylish, of course, but the best thing is that they are miles away from everything,” says Charlie Gladstone who owns and runs Glen Dye with his wife Caroline. “Here, you are free.” 

Glen Dye has been in Gladstone hands since 1840. It wasn’t until 1990 that Charlie and Caroline took the land on, swapping their London jobs for the gentle embrace of the Scottish Highlands. Their dream was to bring depth, soul and a sense of place back to the estate with a handful of world-class holiday homes that bridge the gap between indoors and out and spark the imagination of adventurers young and old. “Restoring and renovating the estate’s 10 properties has been a big part of my life,” says Charlie. “The main design elements I care about are fun, attention to detail and sourcing pieces that are personal and authentic. By authentic I mean things that have substance, not any old crap from ‘fast’ homeware companies.” 

The first holiday let opened in 2018 after nearly 30 years of hard graft. “The houses were in rotten condition. The main house, where North Lodge is, had no heating or electricity,” recalls Charlie. “But we had sold our home in London so were armed with the cash, optimism and energy to renovate it. I love Glen Dye with all my heart. We’re growing, improving and focusing. There’s still a lot to do, but our dream is becoming a reality.” 

In the morning, light floods through huge windows in North Lodge. We are here a week after the autumn equinox, so the surrounding pine woods and grassy hillsides are splashed with shades of orange and yellow. We have a packed To Do list for the day that includes wild swimming, a stint in the estate’s Woodland Sauna and a visit to the Glen Dye Arms, a tiny private pub in one of the estate’s old bothies. But first stop: the River Cabin.

North Lodge comes with a small riverside cabin, outdoor hot tub (heated in about two hours by woodfire) and a Big Green Egg barbeque. The timber bolthole sits in a sun-drenched, leafy plain on the banks of the River Dye, just a 10-minute walk from the lodge. “The North Lodge & River Cabin package is truly unique. You aren’t just getting a luxurious holiday home but a perfect cabin and wild hot tub, right by the river, just for you,” says Charlie.

For the whole ‘wild luxury’ thing to work, you need a warm, stylish and clean sanctuary to return to after a long day adventuring in the great outdoors. The River Cabin hits the nail on the head. While its corrugated steel exterior is weathered, the interior is cosy and cool — and just as well-kept as the North Lodge.

Cabin fever takes on an entirely new meaning here. With its secret location and on-trend interior, I feel enchanted; not stir-crazy. “It has many elements of a traditional north-Scandinavian cabin — calm, stylish. Its timber and steel structure is widely used for sheds and outbuildings across Glen Dye and has been for centuries,” says Charlie. Scout flags and maps are pinned to the walls adding playfulness to an otherwise quite classy interior. There’s a blue velvet chair and record player in the corner that add comfort. A small woodfire stove heats the space in minutes. There’s also a long table with benches – the perfect spot to feast with your family and friends.

Fully remote, we feel safe enough take a dip in the hot tub. I sink into the glassy water with a rosé in hand, feeling as pampered as I would in any five-star spa. But this hot tub has something that no glamorous spa could ever recreate: a picture-perfect view of the river framed by ancient trees and falling leaves. I’d have nodded off to sleep by now if it weren’t for the autumn breeze tickling at my shoulders, or the concerto of birdsong sounding from the canopy.

I’m turning prune-y, so run into the cabin to warm by the fire before my partner and I saunter across to the Discovery and Adventure Centre (it takes 20 to 30 minutes to walk or 10 minutes to drive). We find an outdoor sauna, a couple of cold dip tanks, firepits and plenty of space for kids to play. We head straight to the sauna, bask in its puffs of roasting steam and sweat away our woes.

Later, we return to the cabin terrace for a sizzly BBQ dinner in the Big Green Egg. We chow down on burgers from the Glen Dye General Store soundtracked by crackling vinyl renditions of Fleetwood Mac and Lou Reed. This is pure magic.

My partner and I spend the rest of our weekend laughing and running around like children high on fresh countryside air and the promise of adventure.

And this is what makes Glen Dye – particularly the North Lodge and River Cabin – truly special. For every shiny high-end amenity there’s something to entice us outdoors, be it sweating in the forest sauna, taking an invigorating cold-water plunge or visiting the donkeys at the Discovery and Adventure Centre. This is the stuff that fairytales are made of — and Charlie knows it. “We love Glen Dye with a passion bordering on insanity,” he smiles. “It does that to people, this place…” I can certainly vouch for that.

They’ve thought of everything at Glen Dye… 

For lovers of luxury: expertly designed interiors, five-star quality bedding and grand fireplaces. There’s even a Glen Dye Cinema if you’re looking for a slice of city fun. 

For wellness buffs: spa-standard woodland sauna with cold-plunge tubs and hidden showers. Bespoke Vinyasa Yoga sessions with teacher Victoria focus on breath work, flows and meditation. 

For musos: a record player and vinyl collection in every lodge and in the cosy Glen Dye Arms. 

For foodies: the Glen Dye General Store is full of local produce. There’s whisky tasting with Sandy Kenneway, and Venison Masterclasses with Sanjay Bhattacharya, who shows you how to skin and break down a carcass as well as the best outdoor cooking methods for all cuts of meat. The Seed Store is a high-end occasional restaurant nestled among the pines of Glen Dye. It is made more special by only being available during the summer months. 

For anglers: salmon and trout fishing on the Water of the Feugh between February and October (strictly catch and release), with a ghillie to help you find the hidden gems.  

For outdoor sportspeople: wild swimming pools along the riverbank and a Discovery and Adventure Centre that teaches the magic of lighting a fire, whittling, axe throwing and bushcraft. 

For crafters: exclusive cuttlefish casting with Max and Eden Jolly as well as basket weaving, or seasonal flower arranging and wreath making. There are also art classes with Mel Shand, which take you into the woods to sketch what you see. 

Glen Dye Cabins & Cottages 

Bridge of Dye Steading 

Strachan 

Banchory 

AB31 6LT 

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