The Only Way To Highland Fling!

With only my heels still touching the platform, I was inches away from plummeting 40 metres into the shark infested waters below. The intense beat of my heart reverberated through my whole body as I anticipated my fate. This is it, I’m about to become fish food. 

The butterflies in my stomach woke me up a couple of times during my recurring pre-jump, bungee related nightmares. Even during the day at work, any flicker of thought about my forthcoming jump had my stomach doing gymnastics. While I consider myself an adrenaline enthusiast; I’ve done a canyon swing in Switzerland, skydived twice in Slovenia and paraglided in Turkey; there was just something about throwing myself head first off a bridge which clearly unnerved me. 

On the morning of the jump, I contributed very little to the conversation on the drive to Perthshire. I definitely wasn’t myself. Arriving at the Highland Fling Bungee headquarters in the Killiecrankie Visitor Centre, time seemed to fast-forward. Before I knew it I was sat with trembling limbs (not just from the cold) under the Tummel Bridge waiting for my turn to freefall. I was absolutely terrified. 

Not far from the bridge is the Soldier’s Leap, a section of the river made famous during the Battle of Killiekrankie in 1689. The first Jacobite rebellion led by John Graham AKA ‘Bonnie Dundee’, saw the Highland clansman charge down the gorge at Killiekrankie towards the unprepared British redcoat army. The ferocious and devastating impact of the Highland charge secured a glorious victory for the Jacobites. The remaining redcoats fled the scene, including Donald McBane who was pursued by a posse of Jacobites. In a final bid to escape, McBane jumped 5.5 metres across the River Garry to safety on the other side. Impressive! Would I be able to take a similarly brave leap?

Shuffling with bound ankles towards the edge, there was no going back. Jason from the Highland Fling team guided me into position and told me to look straight ahead and find a point to focus on. It was as if the Highland scenery had been installed purposely to relax me before the jump; I instantly felt completely calm and ready to fly. Jason released me from his grasp and I began to tilt forward into mid air. The world around me muted, sparing the sound of the air rushing past me as I accelarated towards the river below. I can’t even describe how amazing it felt. Just know that I’ve found myself a new hobby! 

Back at base, I caught up with Muzza, the master behind Highland Fling Bungee. A native New Zealander, Muzza’s first jump was in 1988 in the town of Ohakune on the North Island. He’s knotched up hundreds of jumps sinces then and now operates his very own bungee jump in bonnie Perthshire. Driving over the Tummel Bridge twelve years ago, Muzza thought it would be perfect for a bungee, and put the wheels into motion years later in 2007. After four years of planning and red tape, he finally opened the jump cord to the adventurous public in May 2011. The attraction now welcomes 5,000 jumpers a year, and I’m proud to to say I’m one of them! 

I celebrated my flying achievement the Scottish way, with a bowl of Haggis Pakora and a half pint in MacKay’s in Pitlochry. With my adrenaline and endorphin levels back to normal, I slipped into a tired, hazy wee bubble. Turns out anticipation and extreme sports are pretty knackering! This was my cue to check-in to our cottage for the night, so off we went, Blair Atholl bound. 

Our cute accommation for the night has adopted a very much ‘say it as you see it’ approach, by aptly naming the cottage ‘The Snug’. Located in The Square in Blair Atholl, the cottage faces a brilliant backdrop of Perthshire hills and possesses all of the quiet peacefulness you could possibly want in a countryside town. Upon entering the cottage, my eyes were instantly drawn to the spiral staircase, the Aga cooker and the wood burner; I aspire to have all three of these features in my own home one day! I took a quick tour of the tastefully decorated interior, and ventured upstairs to the loft-style bedroom and en-suite, before sinking into the leather sofa to enjoy the warmth from the fire. 

You really could just snuggle up in The Snug all night, but my stomach had other ideas. Hunger strikes! We swapped one cottage for another, and set off to Pitlochry for dinner at Fern Cottage. Having not eaten potato gnocchi since I worked as a tour guide in Eastern Europe, this was a must for my starter. It was served in a Napolitana sauce with feta cheese. I love feta cheese. My main was a classic combo of Moules Marinieres and chips. Yum! I skipped dessert and instead opted for a cheeky nightcap of Glendronach 12 in The Bothy Bar back at the Blair Atholl hotel. Sat in front of the glowing fire, it wasn’t too long before my ‘Snug’ bed was calling. I’d had quite enough excitement for one day.

Needless to say I slept like a baby that night, free from any bungee nightmares. The Perthshire  morning wore a bold blue sky with bright rays of sunshine to penetrate the crisp air. Perfect day for an outdoor spa, one might say. First things first though… breakfast! Mackenzies Bakery is a favourite of mine when passing through Pitlochry so I naturally had to go here to start my Sunday. A Stornoway black pudding roll and a lorne sausage roll later, I was a very happy lassie. I was about to get a lot happier too, I was off to Spa Uniq. 

We were warmly welcomed to the spa by the lovely owner Jane, who had organised for us to have exclusive use of the facilities during our time there. Jane moved to Pitlochry at the tender age of eight, but spent ten years of her adult life living in Manchester. She returned to our beautiful homeland to raise her family amidst the Scottish scenery and develop a now multi-faceted business. 

Wonder woman Jane previously ran a B&B for seven seasons and has now built five cabins with hot tubs - including two love themed cabins - on the hillside above Pitlochry. She also fulfilled a dream of building her own home at the top of the hill with gorgeous views. She now rents out Kinnaird House, her former B&B and familly home, to groups. Spa Uniq was a natural progression, and a fantastic add-on for hen parties staying in the house and couples in the cabins. The spa, which is less than a year old, is set in an idyllic location, with views down over rural Perthshire. Jane’s business ethos is spot on; “the whole thing is about relaxation, we don’t want to rush you”. I felt this from the moment we arrived, a far cry from how I was feeling pre-bungee just 24 hours before. 

The glorious sunshine, tweeting birds and one hell of a bella vista, were the optimum ingredients in my al fresco relaxation. Mountain tops peeked over the hilly horizon, while the cool breeze circulated my face as I soaked in the hot tub. Emerging from the sauna, the fresh air invirgorated me from head to toe. I was living the Sunday dream. Jane would’ve had some trouble removing me from the hot tub, had she not tempted me inside with a back and face massage. Sinking into the bed in the candlelit treatment room, this final dose of pampering was the supersized cherry on the cake. Afterwards we sat outside sipping fruit tea in the sunshine. Safe to say I had recovered from my bungee jump the previous day. No more nightmares for me. 

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Highland Fling Bungee | Website | Facebook | Twitter

Spa Uniq | Website | Facebook | Twitter

The Snug was booked through Home From Home Perthshire | Website | Facebook