Gulabin Lodge

In the south of the Cairngorms National Park, four glens meet at the Spittal of Glenshee. It’s a place of spectacular scenery – and one you and your clan can stay in thanks to Gulabin Lodge and House. These two large self-catering properties share views of mountains and munros and an acre-and-a-half of gardens just down the road from the ski centre of Glenshee. Their impressive outlook is complemented by a grand capacity, making them a perfect option for group getaways in the Scottish Highlands. The house sleeps up to 12 in five comfortable bedrooms while the lodge offers bunkhouse-style accommodation with room for up to 35 guests.

Gulabin House is the logical choice if you’re coming with a smaller group, but it’s also the one we’d recommend for a stay where getting together is as important as what’s outside – the open-plan living space lends itself to catching up with family and friends. It has a well-equipped modern kitchen, a large dining table, comfy sofas, a Smart TV, a Norwegian log burner and bi-folding doors out to the terrace and barbecue. There’s one family bedroom; the rest are doubles and twins, and there are four bathrooms as well. This is comfortable self-catering accommodation with plenty of space for everyone to enjoy when you’re not out exploring.

Over at Gulabin Lodge, the accommodation is sociable on an even grander scale – and that means, if you choose to fill it to capacity, you’ll be sharing your room, and perhaps a bunk. But that’s little matter to the large groups who are likely to book. Designed in the style of a classic Alpine mountain lodge, it’s somewhere you can share stories of the day’s adventures while cooking dinner in the large kitchen or eating in the 35-seater dining room. But it’s more than your typical bunkhouse – immaculately clean and comfortable too, it suits groups or families who want to stay together, as well as gangs of outdoorsy friends. There’s underfloor heating and homely touches – splashes of colour and framed prints on the wall of its nine bedrooms – and two lounges with sofas and fires. But please don’t expect a TV... not that you'll be needing one with the wealth of outdoor adventure on offer.

The accommodation is named for Ben Gulabin, the 806-metre mountain it stands at the foot of. It’s one of many peaks you can bag in a walk that starts at the front door. The waymarked Cateran Trail also passes right by. Glenshee, Scotland's largest ski area, is six miles up the road – skiing and snowboarding are typically on offer from mid-December to April. In the summer season, mountain biking is the way to get your downhill thrills, while hill walking or the chairlift can take you to the top. There’s also canoeing, fishing and wildlife watching. Blairgowrie is 30 minutes to the south, the attractive village of Braemar and the Royal Estate at Balmoral are 40 minutes north, and like most things around here, the drive there is incredibly scenic.