Take a Walk on the Wellness Side at Crerar Hotels
Crerar Hotels has reintroduced its ultimate Wellness Trail, following a successful £4.5 million investment in its hotels and spa facilities over the last two years.
The trail has been updated following the impressive investment to include three of its brand-new spas; Driftwood, Coast and Shore Spa as well as spa treatments at Thainstone House, Oban Bay Hotel and Balmoral Arms.
Since the launch of the Crerar450, Crerar Hotels’ answer to the North Coast 500, the Scottish hotel group was keen to launch a wellness road trip for those looking to relax and rejuvenate. The Crerar450 allows guests to travel the 450 miles between the groups seven four- and five-star properties, located in some of Scotland’s most idyllic settings.
Meanwhile, the Crerar Hotels Wellness Trail consists of six of the group’s seven properties: Oban Bay Hotel, Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa, Loch Fyne Hotel & Spa, Balmoral Arms, Thainstone House and Golf View Hotel & Spa, all of which have their own luxury spas and unique character with some including outdoor facilities such as the Wilderness Deck on Mull and Thermal Experience with stone bath in Nairn.
Broken up into a five-day trip, here you can explore the Crerar Hotels Wellness Trail:
Day 1
Starting in Inveraray, visit Shore Spa at Loch Fyne Hotel & Spa, which relaunched last year after a £765,000 transformation. Shore Spa now offers additional therapy suites, a healing Himalayan salt room, a eucalyptus steam treatment, and sensory experience showers. Guests can also take advantage of the outdoor deck with sauna, drench shower and hot tub which features outstanding views of the loch.
Day 2
From Inveraray, travel just 37 miles to Oban, gateway to the isles, and check in to the Oban Bay Hotel, where guests can enjoy relaxing hydro experiences including the outdoor sunken Canadian style hot tub, Swedish oak barrelled sauna, Roman acrylic steam room and the Zen relaxation room. There is also a relaxing area on the Sea Deck where you can simply relax and watch the boats drift by.
Day 3
From Oban, take a 45-minute ferry ride across to the Isle of Mull. Following the launch of Driftwood Spa in 2021, Isle of Mull Hotel & Spa opened its Wilderness Deck experience last year following a £1 million refurbishment of the hotel’s spa facilities. Guests can be at one with nature and enjoy some mindful moments and views along the varied coastline whilst enjoying a private Thermal Experience amidst the wilderness of the island. The outdoor getaway perfectly complements any treatments at Driftwood Spa.
Day 4
Thainstone House
Hop on the ferry back to Oban, and take the peaceful and scenic route to Inverurie, the home of Thainstone House. Just a short distance from the bustling city of Aberdeen, Thainstone House is a rural, elegant 18th century mansion that has been transformed into a stunning hotel. Breathe in the fresh countryside air from the outdoor sauna and hot tub, part of the indulgent spa experience at Thainstone House, before enjoying a massage or beauty treatment from the spa’s extensive menu.
Day 5
Travel northwest, driving 76 miles to Nairn, home to Coast Spa at Golf View Hotel & Spa, believed to rival some of the best destination spas in Scotland after undergoing a £850,000 makeover. Coast Spa offers guests the opportunity for an invigorating swim, a relaxing dip or a steam and sauna in the upgraded hydro experience. It also proudly boasts Scotland’s first volcano sauna – a unique heat experience, which sees a 400⁰c stone immersed in ice-cold water to create a burst of steam and mild room temperature to promote health benefits including strengthening of the immune system, relaxation of the muscles and promotion of a healthy cardiovascular system.
Day 6
On the final day of the road trip, travel 63 miles from Nairn to Ballater to be treated like royalty at the relaunched Balmoral Arms, formerly the Deeside Inn, following a £2.2 million investment. As the closest hotel to the late Queen’s favourite Scottish abode, Balmoral Castle, Balmoral Arms, offers a sense of escapism enjoyed by the very best of us. The Spa at Balmoral Arms is the latest of the Crerar Hotels spas to open its doors and features a menu of handpicked treatments that can be personally tailored using ishga skincare products from the Hebridean Isles.
Carolyn Carrington, General Manager, Golf View Hotel & Spa, said: “Scotland is well known for its stunning landscapes, but is still relatively unknown as a location for wellness. The Crerar Hotels Wellness Trail combines the beauty of Scotland with the relaxing feel of our hotels and inns and allows guests the best of both worlds.
“As well as our properties offering authentic Scottish hospitality, our spas have undergone extensive refurbishments that add a touch of luxury to a well-loved tradition that is a road trip. We are seeing this as a growing trend amongst our visitors and with our hotels and spas offering the perfect backdrop to cater for a such a road trip our Wellness Trail offers the perfect balance of relaxation, exhilaration and escapism.”
While this is a suggested road trip, guests are free to decide their own route. The typical Crerar450 route is Inveraray > Oban > Isle of Mull > Glencoe > Nairn > Inverurie > Ballater > back to Inveraray.
For those looking for a taste of relax and rejuvenation, Golf View Hotel & Spa in Nairn, is offering a handful of spring and summer spa days starting at £75 from Thermal Spa Days to couple’s packages.
For more information on the Crerar450, please visit or to view Golf View’s Coast Spa promotions, visit here.
