{"id":7526,"date":"2018-03-04T14:51:07","date_gmt":"2018-03-04T14:51:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alisonsdiary.com\/?p=7526"},"modified":"2018-03-04T14:51:07","modified_gmt":"2018-03-04T14:51:07","slug":"the-beast-from-the-east-my-nbf","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alisonsdiary.com\/2018\/03\/the-beast-from-the-east-my-nbf\/","title":{"rendered":"The Beast From The East – my NBF."},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

Footage of freezing people in cars stuck overnight, wind swept, blue eared reporters positioned in the coldest parts of the country.<\/p>\n

And where was I? Snowed in at Stobo Castle, a luxury Spa in Peebleshire.<\/p>\n

The long suffering husband boozed up one night at some dinner or other came back brandishing a voucher for a night at Stobo Castle <\/a>-The Cashmere Suite no less, included was \u00a0a bottle of Bollinger and a \u00a3100 voucher . Yes you can see why I love the man.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

As luck would have it my friend Catherine Aitken and I \u00a0booked for the 27th February 2018.<\/p>\n

Day 1. Arrived.\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/a> Day 2. Unable to Leave
\n<\/a>\"\"Not too upset about it as you can see.
\n\"\"<\/a>
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Day 1. We checked in to The Cashmere Suite. Bigger than my flat. A vast suite of rooms. A bathroom with a stone egg shaped bath, Molton Brown products in abundance on every shelf and mounds of white fluffy towels and of course the must wear item – the white fluffy dressing gown.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The bedroom had two king size beds in it. In front of each a wall mounted TV.<\/p>\n

A dressing room and a lounge area with two huge sofas, a bar, a library\u00a0 ceiling to ceiling books and French windows to the garden.<\/p>\n

Kim Kardashian and her bum would have been quite at home here. But too bad Kimmy no room for you. We were in town.<\/p>\n

Day 2.<\/p>\n

Waking up in utter luxury there was a knock at the door, breakfast being delivered. Oh thank you God.<\/p>\n

The next knock some time later was from Stobo Castle housekeeper \u00a0extraordinaire Fee.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is a red weather alert right over the borders so for all our guests safety no-one will be coming or going today. Please relax and enjoy your stay. Everything is on us\u201d.<\/p>\n

“Hello am I dreaming?”<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In shock we looked out the window. Wow. Amazing. Beautiful. Wild, White, and deeeeeep.<\/p>\n

Laughing rather hysterically as we were snowed in at a 5 star Spa Resort and in The Cashmere Suite we vowed to relax and enjoy it. Real life could wait.<\/p>\n

And we did.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The pool, steam room, hot tub, the delicious food, the smiling staff, the free glass of champagne before our free dinner. The hospitality was extraordinary.<\/p>\n

We were all in it together – well sort of – we had rather lucked out in our exceptional luxury suite within the delightful Stobo Castle.<\/p>\n

Wednesday: We wrapped up, went for a walk, came in, ate the contents of our mini bar chocolate, crisps and drank hot chocolate and coffee.<\/p>\n

Thursday: \u00a0– it was the same situation. The snow had worsened by now the bench outside our room had competly disappeared. We were in lockdown.<\/p>\n

With our trusty laptops we set up a work station in the suite.
\nCatherine a handbag designer she was responding to orders from Japan, USA and France in her dressing gown.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a> \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I focussed on finishing my book.<\/p>\n

We had the most productive two days in years.<\/p>\n

Friday : Despite the wonderful twilight world of luxury and mini bars we had a bit of cabin fever, jaws gnashing,\u00a0 the jury was out. Still an amber warning\u2026.the gritters and the tractor were up and at it. There was a planned convoy at 2pm but Catherine and I were raring to go \u2026Shackleton \u00a0eat your heart out…we launched at 11am following Mrs Winyard the Managing Directors wife in her 4 wheel drive to see if we could make it.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Wrapped like eskimos, gloved, hatted and ready Fee the housekeeper gave us a bag full of crisps, water, chocolate, biscuits to sustain us on our journey into the centre of Scotland.<\/p>\n

An hour later we were back in Edinburgh.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Was it all a dream?<\/p>\n

Scottish hospitality at it\u2019s absolute best.<\/p>\n

The bill for our whole stay was about \u00a3100 and that was because I developed a liking for the house red and Catherine for the steak. If we had stayed on piste it would not have cost us a penny.<\/p>\n

So this blog is basically A HUGE THANK YOU to Stobo Castle. <\/a>
\nEfficient, friendly staff, delicious food, a hugely generous proprietor.<\/p>\n

Two fully fledged Spa addicts.<\/p>\n

Oh and I have finished my book. Hallelujah!!!!!!<\/p>\n

Save<\/span>Save<\/span><\/p>\n

Save<\/span>Save<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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