Auchterarder, Perth and Kinross, Scotland

Gleneagles

Eight hundred and fifty acres of Perthshire, and a century of grand Scottish sport.

edward mcmaihin / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Private Estate ★★★★★ United Kingdom

About this retreat

Commissioned by the Caledonian Railway and opened in 1924 as a "Riviera in the Highlands", Gleneagles has spent a century perfecting the art of the grand Scottish estate. The main house sits at the centre of 850 acres of Perthshire glen — a self-contained world of fairways, moorland, stables and stalking country, reached by its own railway station and framed by the Ochil Hills.

Golf is the headline. Three championship courses — the King's, the Queen's and the PGA Centenary, which hosted the 2014 Ryder Cup — wind across the estate, and the roll-call of guests runs from royalty to the 2005 G8 summit. But the estate rewards the non-golfer just as generously: a British School of Falconry, off-road driving, gundog training, riding, shooting and fly fishing all operate from the grounds, alongside a full ESPA spa.

Dining is anchored by Andrew Fairlie at Gleneagles, which continues the late chef's legacy of Scottish produce given a French accent. Elsewhere the estate keeps things looser — a birdcage bar, a century-old Grand Ballroom, and long fire-lit afternoons that make a case for never leaving the building at all.

Amenities

  • Andrew Fairlie restaurant
  • Three championship golf courses
  • ESPA spa and thermal suite
  • British School of Falconry
  • Equestrian centre and riding
  • Off-road driving and country pursuits
  • Indoor pool and fitness studios
  • Private railway station on-site