The Old Manse of Monzie

About this listing

Escape to this elegant 18^th century Old Manse with hot tub, BBQ, piano, trampoline, croquet,  fabulous walking on your doorstep, oodles of space inside and out and surrounded by beautiful countryside – relax in the hot tub, spy playful red squirrels or soak in the hot tub under a star-studded sky.

The Old Manse of Monzie

This very spacious holiday house sleeping 12 in Perthshire, nestles in beautiful countryside and is a perfect setting for a gathering of family or friends. Nearby are championship golf courses, castles, distilleries, gardens and every kind of outdoor pursuit such as fabulous walking from the doorstep and in the surrounding hills, as well as great cycling, quad biking, wildlife safaris, white water rafting, clay pigeon shooting, mountain bike trails, water skiing, riding and wild swimming. Dogs are very welcome. There is a hot tub, trampoline, lots of indoor and outdoor games including table tennis, croquet, swing ball and table football. Travel cot and high chairs are provided. The Old Manse is a delightful 18th century house lying in the tiny hamlet of Monzie, just 3 miles north of Crieff. Surrounded by the glorious Perthshire countryside, it is an idyllic, secluded spot and perfectly located to explore much of Scotland, or just to relax in the beautiful garden.

Inside the Accommodation

On the ground floor is the enormous kitchen which has a 4-door Aga, American-style large fridge/freezer, Nespresso machine, microwave, dishwasher and lots of crockery and cooking utensils – everything you will need is there. There is a large wooden table with seating for 12 and at the far end a sofa, TV and DVD player. There’s also a radio/stereo system with i-pod docking station. If you want to push the table to one side and have a few reels then there’s plenty of room to do that and no neighbours within earshot! A conservatory leads off the kitchen and it’s a great place to enjoy the winter sun. There is also a separate laundry room (and a WC off it) with a washing machine and overhead pulley drier. The area outside the kitchen has a table football table and lots of games and toys for children to enjoy. There’s a separate lobby with a desk and lamp if you need to work whilst here or just want a quiet space to finally finish your novel. Lots of board games, jigsaws and DVDs for adults and children are in the kitchen – there is plenty to keep everyone happy inside including a table tennis top for the dining room table.

If you’re bringing a baby or toddler then there’s a travel cot available, 2 high chairs and lots of plastic crockery and cutlery too. Plenty of games and toys will keep everyone happily entertained inside and out. On the ground floor is a double bedroom with a large en-suite shower-room, which is ideal for the less mobile. There’s another separate WC too. The dining hall has a dining room table for 10 and a piano (very out of tune though!) – a more formal place for a celebratory dinner. The stunning sitting room has an open fire and superb views to the south – this is such a wonderful place to relax in, at all times of the day – with antique furniture but modern comfortable sofas, it is easy to lose yourself in a book or chat about your day in front of the roaring fire. Upstairs is a large bedroom with a super-king bed, fitted wardrobe and en-suite shower room; a smaller twin bedroom; a double bedroom with en-suite shower room; and a very large bedroom with basin and 4 single beds. The family bathroom has a shower over the pea shaped bath and there’s a separate upstairs WC. The luxurious hand soap and body wash which is supplied in all bathrooms and loos comes from Highland Soap Company.

The garden is fully enclosed so your children and dogs can play safely outside. There is a large hot tub, a trampoline and a variety of garden games including croquet and swing ball. On the terrace are outdoor tables and chairs (for 12), and BBQs are in the shed for al fresco dining – it’s a perfect place to relax and hopefully you’ll see the red squirrels too. There are  fresh herbs in the garden which you can help yourself to.

Green Energy for a Guilt-free Stay

The house’s electricity is totally green energy as it comes from the Monzie estate’s 50 year old hydro scheme on the Shaggie Burn.  The water comes from the estate’s spring far up in the Perthshire hills – again totally eco and it’s filtered and goes through UV before and after it enters the house (and is subject to twice-yearly testing from the environmental health agency so you can be sure it’s ultra-safe).  It is fresh spring water and utterly delicious! The loft insulation is 100% pure sheep’s wool which is natural, sustainable and renewable.  There really couldn’t be a more eco insulation and it helps to keep the house warm too in a very green way

Five Star Fun

Perthshire has the most stunning scenery and a huge variety of things to do. The surrounding hills, glens and lochs provide interesting walks (lots from the doorstep and there are Ordnance Survey maps in the house), cycling (on and off road), hill climbing, all manner of water sports, fishing, riding, shooting and white-water rafting. The outdoor activity centre just 2 miles away offers quad biking, high ropes, mini highland games, clay pigeon shooting, segways, archery and many other outdoor pursuits. Nearby you can book bushcraft, foraging, survival and axe throwing classes – most outdoor activities are available close to this large holiday house in Perthshire. Lochs and rivers abound where you can go wild swimming in perfect solitude.

Indulge in local spas at nearby Crieff Hydro and Gleneagles Hotel – very popular with hen and stag parties of all ages.  Local beauticians are also available to come to the house for treatments or pamper parties, as are dance instructors, wine tasting experts, cocktail or chocolate making gurus.  Whatever sort of stag or hen party you want to plan will be possible here. There’s plenty of outdoor pursuits close by within a few miles (including excellent golf courses and white-water rafting) – or you can organise your own mini highland games or other activities in the house or garden. You could go whisky tasting nearby or make your very own individual gin with local aromatics at the local micro gin distillery.

There are lots of excellent golf courses nearby including a championship 18 hole course in Crieff, Gleneagles is just 12 miles away and St Andrews is easily reached too. Or for a total change walk 10 minutes up the hill from The Old Manse of Monzie to a very unique 9 hole golf course at Foulford – it’s stunning and one of the highest in Perthshire (they have golf clubs available too). This central Scotland self-catering house is perfectly located for a golfing holiday.

Crieff is a historic town and has a great range of restaurants, cafes, pubs and independent shops, as well as the oldest distillery in Scotland at Glenturret (The Famous Grouse Experience). Why not learn to make gin on a day course at the new Strathearn Distillery only 4 miles away, or Scottish shortbread with a local baker. There are lots of fabulous castles, historic homes and gardens in the nearby area to visit – Drummond Castle Gardens, Scone Palace and Inverpeffray Library are amazing. Several episodes of Outlander were filmed in area – if you’re a fan have fun seeing if you can spot the locations.

Children (and adults!) love the local wildlife centre at Auchingarrich – if you’re on holiday here around Easter then feeding the newly-hatched chicks is extra special but there are baby rabbits being born throughout the year which you can feed and pet all year round. Blair Drummond Safari Park and Deep Sea World are also super days out with children – and the Ceramic Experience (only 3 miles south) is very popular for young and old alike. Further afield, Stirling (with its magnificent castle) is just 40 minutes by car, and all the many attractions of Edinburgh and Glasgow are easily accessible by train or car for a day trip.

You could take a drive up the Sma’ Glen to Aberfeldy – perhaps picnicking on the way by a burn or atop a hill amongst the stunning highland scenery. Book a Highland Safari to have a 4×4 off-road adventure in breathtaking scenery: see and learn about the animals and birds that frequent this magnificent Scottish wilderness.

Though you don’t have to leave your perfect Scottish holiday house to see lots of wildlife as there’s lots on the doorstep. Red squirrels are frequently seen in the garden, deer in the surrounding fields, hedgehogs all around and there is a lot of fabulous birdlife too: lapwings and oyster catchers nest in the nearby fields, red kites soar overhead, kingfishers dip on the burn, and house martins return every year to their nests under the eves of the house.

Special Gatherings and Get-togethers at The Old Manse

Enjoy fun-filled, happy celebrations or longer holidays – a wonderful place to stay throughout the year – all seasons are fabulous here and this idyllic self-catering accommodation is a very special place where you can create amazing holiday memories.

Rates :

From £1,600 for a weekend, 2 night minimum stay. From £1900 per week.

Pets welcome no limit or charge.

11am checkout, 4pm check in – but very flexible if not back-to-back bookings.

Open fire with free wood supplied.

Reviews:

More reviews on Trip Advisor – all 5 star!

“My friends and I had a fantastic weekend staying at the Old Manse, Anne the owner has thought of everything to make us welcome – very comfy beds, gorgeous kitchen for cooking – we could have asked for a local chef – and a roaring fire to relax by after dinner in the spacious sitting room. Definitely recommend for larger groups of friends and families.”

“The house is just a lovely place to stay with family.”

“We stayed at your house last weekend and we loved it so much that we will return one day. The hot tub was a great hit with the family. I enjoyed cooking on the AGA brought back memories of my childhood. The beds were very comfortable and it was lovely to sit around the open fire in the evenings. The location was great too, not far from Crieff and the lovely shops.”

“The Old Manse is amazing! It’s so big and well laid out, the garden and grounds are stunning, the separate living and dining areas are great. The AGA is amazing everyone in my party loved it and we found it very easy to use and cook all our food. Anne is an amazing host and left some welcome wine! We done karaoke and beer pong and plenty room for everyone to take part. The hot tub was a highlight and we loved a dip in the morning and evening! The wood fire was great and the living room felt so cosy with it on! The bedrooms are all spaced out and everyone had plenty room. I can’t recommend the house enough everything was great, everyone enjoyed it and we are already looking at coming back to stay! If your looking for a holiday home in a lovely location with loads of space you will love it!”

“Me and 9 friends stayed at this house at the weekend and had a great time from start to finish. Anne was most helpful in the weeks coming up to our stay answering any questions i had. We arrived to a bottle of fizz waiting on us and the house was spotless. There was a welcome book in the kitchen with the WIFI code and lots of recommendations for food and activities nearby. All rooms are huge and i couldn’t fault the house in any way. We lucked out with the weather meaning we could enjoy the huge garden all weekend. The hot tub was an amazing addition to the house and we already can’t wait to book again to return in future! Thanks again.”

“What a fantastic house & surroundings. We all had a great time. Very relaxed & chilled out few days in front of the fire or in the hot tub. Everyone was entertained from our youngest (4), to our oldest (91) & also our dog loved roaming about in the gardens. We are already planning when we can go back again.”