The Gleaning

The Gleaning: Aberdeenshire

The great outdoors: nowhere does it better than Scotland. Here, around a forty-five-minute drive from Aberdeen, you'll be nestled along with a small collection of cabins and cottages inside a vast private forest – far from the madding crowd. Perfect for lovers of hiking, cycling and wild swimming, there's even a range of bushcraft and wild wellness classes to choose from, run on-site by trained instructors.

The home itself is a cleverly converted hayloft, with a covered outside area and accommodation over two floors. Crucially, the living room is on the top floor, taking full advantage of the superb views. Styled to perfection with a mix of deep tones, fun artwork and comfy furniture, it's a surprisingly modern space that wouldn't look out of place in any major city. And your eyes aren't deceiving you; there really is a bright pink second bedroom. It's the addition of a log burner and the odd vintage milking stool that really ground this place in its stunning surroundings.

The site has quite a few surprises in store too. There's a beautifully dressed bring-your-own-bottle pub for socialising with the other guests, a veggie garden and clutch of hens, plus a luxurious wood-fired sauna to relax your aching muscles after a day hiking. And there's an excellent shop on the site, so although you may be a fifteen-minute drive from Banchory and thirty-five from the coast at Stonehaven, you're unlikely to run out of the essentials with plenty of local produce on hand.

Home truths:
*There's private parking if you're bringing a car and somewhere undercover to store bikes – there's also electric vehicle charging available
*You'll have unlimited firewood
*The site has a well-curated shop with essentials and eggs from the owners' hens – you're welcome to pick vegetables from the garden
*There's laptop-friendly workspace at the table
*The sauna and BYOB pub are shared
*One bedroom and bathroom are on the ground floor, with the rest of the accommodation above
*A cot and high chair are available for little ones – you'll need to bring your own cot bedding