Friday evening: arrive, unpack, walk to dinner
Check-in is from 3pm with a key safe, so arrive when it suits. Drop the bags, put the heating on if it isn’t already, and walk the few minutes into the town for dinner. Kinross has a good mix of restaurants and pubs for a small town, and nothing is more than a ten-minute stroll from the house, so nobody has to drive.
Saturday morning: the loch at first light
Five minutes on foot brings you to Kirkgate Park and the loch shore. In winter the light comes late and low, the Lomond Hills across the water are often white on top, and if you time it right the pink-footed geese are lifting off the water in their thousands. Follow the Heritage Trail along the shore as far as you like; it is flat, surfaced, and has benches.
Back for a cooked breakfast in the kitchen, or walk into town for coffee and a roll.
Saturday afternoon: castle, hill or spa
Three good options, depending on the weather and the legs:
- Loch Leven Castle. The island castle where Mary Queen of Scots was held in 1567 and escaped in 1568. The boat runs from the Kinross pier in season; in the depths of winter it may not, but the view of the island from the shore is part of every walk.
- The Lomond Hills. Bishop Hill or West Lomond is a short drive and a couple of hours up and down, with views over the loch to the Highlands on a clear day. Boots and layers.
- Something gentler. The RSPB reserve on the south shore has hides and a cafe, and Kinross House, a few minutes’ walk from our door, has a spa in its grounds.
Saturday evening: the brewery and a film
Loch Leven Brewery sits by the entrance to Kinross Golf Club, a short walk from the house, and brews some excellent beers, with gin for the non-beer drinkers. Then back for dinner, either cooked in the fully fitted kitchen or picked up on the way, and a film on the smart TV with your own Netflix.
Sunday: slow morning, then onward
Check-out is 11am, so there is time for a last loch walk or a lazy breakfast. If you are heading home south, Edinburgh is 40 minutes down the M90. If you are making a longer trip of it, St Andrews is 45 minutes east and Perth 20 minutes north.
Booking a winter weekend
Winter stays are available from two nights, at our lowest prices of the year. Check dates on our winter breaks page, and book direct for the best price. Dogs are welcome, and the walks above are all dog-friendly.