“If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village she must seek them abroad.”

— Jane Austen

This stay was courtesy of the hotel but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Balbirnie House Hotel

Every year I say I will explore more of Scotland. Embrace the staycation and finally make the most of the beautiful country I'm so lucky to call home. Well... I think 2020 might be the year! I'm off to a flying start at least, having finally made the jump across to the Kingdom of Fife.

I was kindly invited to stay the night at the beautiful Balbirnie House in Glenrothes. The hotel is about an hour's drive from Edinburgh - or a 50 minute train journey from Waverley - making it the perfect staycation destination. Naturally, I jumped at the chance.

Balbirnie is a 19th-century Georgian countryside manor, set within extensive grounds (it is even has a golf course on the doorstep!) The estate dates back to the 1640s and the house is now a small but ever-so-luxurious hotel.

I have such a soft spot for Georgian architecture so I had a feeling Balbirnie would be right up my street. Driving up to the house was, I imagine, similar to how Elizabeth Bennet felt on first seeing Pemberley for the first time.

The house has been beautifully restored and is now one of Scotland’s most popular wedding venues. I can totally see why! Every room is beautifully decorated—from the snug, dark wood Library Bar, complete with roaring fire and bookshelves lining every wall, to the grand, sumptuous and rather stately Orangery Restaurant (where we had an incredible meal).

There were wedding guests staying in the hotel that night and the whole place was alive with joy and anticipation for the big day. It was the loveliest atmosphere and really added to Balbirnie’s charm.

The Tiffany Suite

“It calms me down right away, the quietness and the proud look of it; nothing very bad could happen to you there... If I could find a real-life place that made me feel like Tiffany’s, then I’d buy some furniture and give the cat a name.”

Breakfast at Tiffany's

We were half in love with the place already. Then we checked into our room! The incredibly decadent Tiffany Suite (based on the Audrey Hepburn classic Breakfast at Tiffany’s) featuring a stunning four poster bed worthy of Hollywood royalty. And the bathroom. Reader, I will dream about the freestanding slipper bath for years to come.

Waking up to the birds chirping and brisk, clean countryside air was an absolute dream. (Especially after one of the best night’s sleep ever in that enormous bed!) After a hearty breakfast and steaming cups of tea, we bid a fond farewell to Balbirnie and set off to explore St Andrews (just 40 minutes away from the hotel by car) and more of Fife. More on those adventures to follow…