Cold Comforts

Why would anyone in their right mind visit the Loch Lomond Golf Club during the dreich Scottish winter? Because it has a fantastic new spa, that's why. The exclusive 267-hectare club overlooking the country's largest loch has introduced a winter membership, at a fraction of[an error occurred while processing this directive] the normal cost, coinciding with the recent launch of its Spa in the Walled Garden. The clean, modern lines of the glass, stone and wood sanctuary — boasting such sensory treats as a vitality plunge pool, a crystal steam room and massage therapists with seemingly magic hands — are bisected by an 18th century garden wall that belongs to Rossdhu House. Built by the Colquhoun clan in 1773, it was the family seat until the mid-1970s and now serves as the clubhouse as well as the location of five of the 40 suites on the estate.

The antique-laden mansion is sumptuously adorned with velvets and tartans, and over 200 years of Colquhoun-family portraits peer down at guests reading in the well-stocked library, savoring a single malt in the Rossdhu Bar or enjoying a formal yet friendly dinner in one of the house's two opulent dining rooms. (Two standout dishes are the fillet of beef with rosti potatoes, celeriac cream and wild mushrooms, and the honey-and-mascarpone parfait with roasted figs.) The golf course is closed during the winter, but if you still have a sporting itch, try your hand at salmon fishing or clay-pigeon shooting. Chances are you'll get a bit soggy, but the dramatic scenery is worth it. lochlomond.com