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Always ones to try out something a little different, Kristy headed North with her Insta-pal Jamie Howden to capture the start of Autumn at Eco Camp Glenshee, Highland Perthshire’s truly unique glamping offer.
She was greeted by an abundance of very friendly chickens – obvs! – and the wonderful Helen who showed our trusty photographers around their wooden pod. Kristy tells us it smelled brand new and was freshly carpeted with a heater and a power plug. Glamping indeed!
Here’s what she told us!
“I loved Eco Camp from the moment I arrived. I’ve always been an outdoorsy sort of a gal so this was just heaven to me. The wooden pod was fantastic and all the cooking, tea making and hanging out with other glampers was done in the Bothy; this is an amazing space with lots of books, quirky things on the wall to look at (including a fireman’s helmet and old photographs) and all the things you may need to cook and store food.
There was an abundance of toys for kids as well so if the weather wasn’t great it would be a perfect place for families to hang out. Best of all there was a fireplace and I could imagine just how cosy it would be in there in the evening.
The Pod itself provided five mattresses, pillows, pillow slips and blankets so you just need to bring your sleeping bag. I actually brought my duvet, a blanket and my onesie because of my tent experience a couple of weeks previously but thankfully, this was not needed as the pod is so warm and cosy. In fact, I honestly didn’t realise how cold it was outside until I opened the door in the morning and was shocked when it took me a good ten minutes to defrost the car.
The pods were really very sound-proof and the rooster crowing in the morning was barely heard. The shower facilities are clean and quirky with products to use if you had forgotten your own which had a lovely, hippy feel to it - people had just left their stuff for others to use and this stretched to the food in the Bothy as well. Its also worth mentioning that you didn’t have to pay an extra charge for electricity and showers as you at other glamping sites.
The whole hillside and camp is very quiet and peaceful with the most spectacular views. As for the animals… well the llamas and donkeys were very cute! Both were very curious with me and seemed really comfortable with my presence and I can see how safe they would be in a trekking experience. There is also a resident red squirrel which lives next to The Bothy… and then the chickens! All shapes and sizes and characters there!
After we took photo’s of the camp we took advantage of the mountain range at Glenshee where there was some debate on whether it was in Perthshire or Aberdeenshire. We worked out that the border is at the high snow gate so half of our walks were technically in Perthshire although some of these pics may actually be outwith!
The glenshee mountains are beautiful and suit all ages and abilities for walking. I’d heard that they are the easiest Munros to do as you drive most of the way up and there are no scary ridges. We ticked off pensioners, children and dogs on our way so they really are family friendly as far as mountains go. The café was open at 9 on Sunday morning so was a lifesaver for a bacon roll.
The closest places to eat seemed to be the Bridge of Cally Hotel, Ski centre during the day or Braemar, where we had dinner. I really do want to note the fantastic cheese burger I had at the Braemar Lodge, which was well needed after a munro. We also noted there was a visitor and pottery centre close by and a historical site called the ‘cockstane’ which provided some hilarity!”
'... I am a self taught photographer living in Perth who loves getting out and about to capture images of our beautiful country. My creative journey started in 2000 when I studied Graphic Design. Years later I started experimenting with photography, seeing what I could create and became engrossed very quickly. I originally starting photographing weddings and portraits of people but became hooked on landscapes two years ago. I continue to travel about Scotland to new places to capture images that inspire others and show people what beauty is all around us ...'
Follow Jamie on Instagram here
'... I have always had a love of the outdoors and being close to nature ever since I was a little girl living in the Australian outback. After upgrading to an IPhone6 last year I started trying to capture this passion along with educating my children of the simple beauty around them. Now with a ‘real camera’ in hand, and an ever-increasing desire to ‘chase that sunset’, I can’t stop exploring! Scotland is a beautiful place and a photographer's dream ...'
Follow Kristy on Instagram here
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