Beech Tree Cottage, Fingask Castle, Rait

Fingask Castle, and Beech Tree Cottage is half way between Perth and Dundee, approximately 1 hour drive from Edinburgh.. Set on a hillside, it is hidden in the Perthshire countryside, in a wooded glen. It feels like it is away from the world, even though it's only 5/10 mins from the A90. Beech Tree is one of our larger cottages, great for families or friends to share but also comfortable for smaller groups and couples and for your pets too (though pets not to be left alone in the cottage). The space Beech Tree is a two storey cottage at the end of the courtyard. The house has oil-fired central heating and an open log fire (we do supply logs, though not kindling). The ground floor has a sitting/dining room, kitchen, double bedroom with en-suite shower room and utility room with loo. The sitting/dining room - with real log fire, two sofas, single reclining chair, a dining table that seats 6-8, and TV with freeview. A door leads directly to the shared lawn, garden furniture is supplied from spring to autumn. There is shared play area nearby with children's trampoline, swing and climbing frame. The eat-in kitchen is well equipped with electric oven and hob, fridge freezer, dishwasher, microwave, kettle and toaster. Pots, pans, oven dishes, crockery, glasses and cups are all available. Also included is washing up liquid, a few dishwasher tablets, dish cloth/scourer and tea towels. The utility room houses the washing machine and downstairs loo. The stone staircase leads to the second floor where there are three bedrooms. The first is a single room with a cabin bed, narrower than a normal sized single bed, this will fit a smaller adult or child. The twin bedroom contains two standard single beds, next door is a bathroom with a bath and sink, in the cupboard here you will find the towels. Opposite is the family shower room containing a sink, large walk in shower and toilet. The third bedroom at the end of the hall is a triple room with three single beds and a hand basin. An occasional 'camp' bed is available if required, this can be used in either the twin or the triple bedroom. Bedding for this can be found in the blue chest in the twin bedroom. Electricity and wi-fi is supplied with the hire of the cottage. While the wi-fi is reasonable and we have taken steps to improve it in 2024, we are rural and cannot guarantee a strong signal. Especially if many people are using it at the same time. It is sufficient for browsing, for shorter facetime or zoom calls and usually ok for streaming Netflix or such like however perhaps not for prolonged periods or large/fast downloads. We would recommend downloading large files/movies or such like prior to arrival 'just in case'! Pets are welcome at Fingask - please let us know they are coming. They are not permitted on our furniture and must not be left alone in the cottage at any time. Dogs must be kept on a lead while out and about in the grounds - please respect this for the enjoyment of other guests and also to help us protect the wildlife and farm animals that are on/near our site. Please ensure you clean up after your pet. Cot/High Chair/Stairgate We have a cot, high chairs and stair gates available to book if required. Please let us know on booking or prior to your arrival - depending on what time you arrive there may be no-one in the office so do let us know and they will be in the cottage for your arrival. Check in We usually have a contact free check in procedure. Follow the directions to your cottage, give us a wave or a call in the office to let us know you have arrived. There is a handbook you should find on the coffee table in the living room when you arrive. This will give you cottage information such as how the heating works etc. There is no wi-fi password. Arlene is usually in the office Monday to Friday 9 am til 4/4.30pm, do get in touch with any queries. Messages are monitored over the weekend by owner Andrew or if anything urgent out with office hours you can use the phone numbers to contact him or Helen. They live on site in the castle with their family, there is usually always someone on site for emergencies. Also supplied - bedding and towels (hand towels and bath towels) hand soap toilet paper kitchen towel, washing up liquid, a few dishwasher tablets, bin bags. iron and ironing board No food or drinks are supplied, please bring what you need with you. There is usually a small supply of salt/pepper in the cottage but do bring anything else you might need with you. There is a small Spar shop in the village of Errol (4/5miles approx) and another in Inchture. Asda, Tesco, Aldi or Lidl supermarkets can be found in Perth and Dundee. Both Asda and Tesco also deliver here should you prefer. Please plan any shopping deliveries for AFTER you arrive and make sure that you state the name of the cottage/house you are staying in. Pool Our outdoor pool is usually open from April to the first frost (usually October in Scotland). The pool is towards the top of the estate. N.B. take appropriate care around the pool and use it respectfully. Any guest found to be using the pool cover as a diving aid will immediately be asked to leave. The pool is there for your enjoyment though some do not behave respectfully or responsibly leading to the motor/equipment being broken leaving the pool unusable and impacting on all site users. Games Room The games room is located at the back of the castle. Go up the stairs and turn left, at the end of the building on your right there is a door, they key is usually under the stone if its not in the lock. Please ensure that under 12's are not left unsupervised. Guest access You will be the only occupants of your cottage. Check in At the moment we don't have a formal check in procedure. Follow the directions to your cottage, give us a wave or a call in the office to let us know you have arrived. Parking Available in the area car outside the cottage, please be considerate to the other users and park sensibly. Fingask Castle There are seven Fingask Castle Cottages, ranging from Sir Stuart's House sleeping up to fourteen, to the romantic hideaway, The Boat House, with sauna and a rowing boat to use on the lake. Fingask Cottages are set in over 100 acres of the historic gardens and woods of Fingask Castle, enjoying southerly views to the Firth of Tay and the hills of Fife beyond. The half mile long drive curves up through the wooded glen and crosses Fingask stream on a high arched stone bridge overlooking St Peter’s Well in the dell below. Fingask is truly a magical place! You are welcome to roam the estate, there is a map provided in the cottage. The castle is a private family home, please respect the owners privacy and avoid the area immediately around the castle. The Pavilion and garden around it should also be avoided particularly if there is an event/wedding taking place during your stay. Other things to note There are four cottages located in the castle 'courtyard'. Beech Tree, Sycamore, Rowan and Redwood. They are adjoining and run in a row, with car parking along one side (the front where the front door door is) and a lawn garden area along the back. The cottages each have their own garden space with table and chairs. The gardens run into each other with no fencing or hedging between them. Please be mindful and respectful of others enjoyment whilst staying with us. There is a small shared children's play area at one end of the row of cottages, closest to Beech Tree. The wider estate is extensive, with a valley and stream, lake and lots of woodland. There are topiary, statues and other curiosities around the site. We see plenty of wildlife on site, including deer, buzzards, red squirrels, and our somewhat resident heron and swans. There are lots of other birds at Fingask including our guinea fowl and chickens who wander near the castle and pool most days. Guests are welcome to wander, though please respect other visitors/residents space.