Last week I headed up to the beautiful Ardverikie Estate in the Scottish Highlands with about 13 others, for five days of fresh highland air, an escape from the metropolis, good food, excellent company and an all-round rest. It proved to be slightly less restful than I had expected as we filled our days with long hikes, meeting the wildlife nearby (especially the deer and grouse), barbeques and volleyball tournaments on the beach of Loch Laggan, enormous feasts even including haggis one evening, curling up in front of roaring fires and activities such as Scottish Dancing, clay pigeon shooting and trips to feed the stags.

        Being January it was often quite chilly but we made the most of the outdoors and explored the huge estate on foot, and the vast open spaces and gorgeous views leave you breathless. This was my first ever visit to the Scottish Highlands and I was fascinated to learn how isolated we were, and how far away from built-up civilisation. We travelled up on the Caledonian Sleeper train on the Tuesday evening, arriving fresh on Wednesday morning and ready to head outside into the Highlands. The Ardverikie Estate was the filming location for Monarch of the Glen, a BBC One TV series about a decade ago, and a gorgeous house sits on the lakefront with a view out over the beautifully still Loch Laggan. The huge lochs are one of the key focuses of the landscape, with the hills rising out of the water and creating stunning reflections, hence why I chose this postcard which gives you a great idea of how still and tranquil the Highlands are.

        I probably wouldn’t have gone to the Highlands of my own accord as it’s not a typical place you think of when choosing a holiday, but it was an absolutely perfect trip and a great place to visit with a large group of friends. Definitely somewhere to add to your bucket list!