If you’ve ever dreamed of honeymooning in a castle, Scotland might just be the perfect place to make that fairytale a reality.. and while you might picture misty landscapes and moody interiors, Mar Hall Golf Resort & Spa offers something refreshingly different! Think sun-dappled gardens, grand suites filled with light, and the kind of alfresco moments that turn a getaway into pure romance. As part of Alfresco Issue, Lisa Perkovic discovers how this historic estate near Glasgow is redefining the classic castle vacation, with modern design, gourmet dining, and an unexpectedly vibrant take on Scottish luxury.

My special someone is tinkling the ivories on our grand piano. A bath is running in the other room. I’m perusing the bookshelf for something to read – perhaps a book on family crests just casually dated from 1890. Oh, and of course, today there’s sunshine filtering through the windows. This is Scotland and it’s not at all like I expected.

More specifically, this is Mar Hall Golf Resort & Spa’s Eileen Suite. One of three grand suites in the 77 room hotel, it’s bigger than our apartment back home and much, much nicer.

I think I’d be forgiven for thinking when I wanted to stay in a ‘Scottish castle’, we’d be staying in a dark, heavily wooded room, draughty and dreary (especially the weather). My husband and I are certainly surprised when we open the door to our suite and see the exact opposite. This five star hotel, and Scotland itself, are putting on quite the show.

Mar Hall is 10 minutes from Glasgow Airport and 20 minutes from the city. It’s a grand estate with intricate gothic windows, turreted parapet, towering sandstone entrance and all. That’s my first surprise. I don’t have to hike it up to the highlands to live out my romantic daydreams of swanning about making entrances on staircases.

Scotland’s ‘lowlands’ as they’re called, are dotted with estates and castles now serving as hotels. They’re tucked around the countryside, often cleverly hidden from prying eyes behind long driveways or carefully manicured gardens. Mar Hall sits on the banks of the River Clyde, so there’s plenty of privacy and a plethora of views out to the river and the rolling hills on the other side.

My next surprise is the interior. The hotel is fresh from a £20 million overhaul that’s seen the grand old dame get a glow up in a very big way. Gone are the old red and gold colour schemes and instead, there’s bright wild pink carpet, deep green botanical wallpaper and dramatic brass pendulum lights. Common areas like The Gallery are seriously chic.

There’s velvet embroidered armchairs, a marble-topped champagne bar, and giant antique gold framed mirrors on the walls. They’ve mixed old and new in a way that makes me want to abandon my Australian beach chic house and start again. In our suite, the cream and light blue floral wallpapered bedroom with four poster framed bed is modern fairytale, with cool edgy art fresh from a partnership with the Glasgow school of art. There’s three old marble fireplaces in our suite, including one in the bathroom. I’m more excited about the big freestanding bath tub and the blue low lying velvet lounge in our living room.

Back to that piano now. That’s right, there’s a full size piano in our living room. Apparently this is where Kylie Minogue stayed when she was in town touring. It also turns out it’s very romantic when your special someone decides to serenade you with a go at the keys. Don’t get me started on the light oak parquetry either. Can you tell we renovated recently?!

We’re finding it hard to leave our suite, not just for the chic interiors. The views out the window, watching the sun soak into the hillside, is mesmerising. But leave we must, as we’ve a date in The Dining Room.

Tucked into a leather booth at the back of the palatial dining hall, we can still see out to the river. As the sun starts to fade and turns everything golden, we share delicate heirloom carrots and a generous chateaubriand for two. A glass of French wine for him and a South African red for me, and we are keen to never leave. My ‘castle stay’ never included fine dining either, if I’m honest. I was expecting Scotch eggs and haggis, but that’s on me, because the fare from Executive Chef, Tony Tapia is elegant and lets us get a good look at Scottish produce. There’s plans for a gourmet garden underway, and the team are excited to tell us about local suppliers they’re already working with.

Then there’s dessert. We swoon over the chocolate soufflé tart, a pretty dome of chocolate soufflé mousse filled with crunchy smoked almond praline. For the sake of the full Scottish experience, we also try the ‘Tipsy Laird’, a deconstructed take on the traditional Scottish version of a trifle. It’s served table side, with a clever repurposing of a cheese wheel to shave off slivers of white chocolate that gets perched atop a sundae bowl full of strawberries, sponge cake, vanilla custard and whipped cream.

Then it’s on to night caps. Here, I felt like I was going to be on the money. Surely a Scottish cocktail bar would be all things whisky. Yes, there is a whisky cocktail in the elegant Slàinte Bar. The Highland Hero is a new favourite of guests, but there’s a full menu of other delights themed after moments in Mar Hall’s long 180 year history. I can’t go past The Belle Époque a dainty balancing act of Belle de Brillet, Mar Hall honey and Champagne, an ode to the 1800s, now my new favourite era.

Over the next few days, much like our first encounter with Mar Hall and Scotland, we’re constantly surprised by what’s in store for us. The sun continues to shine so we take afternoon tea outside in the gardens, and even get some colour as we tuck into dainty sandwiches, delicious egg tarts and a moreish carrot cake I’m still thinking about. There’s a par-70 championship golf course on site, but we skip that to spend time in the indoor pool and brand new gym. The outdoor hot tubs and heated lounges in the Spa Garden are out of action which is a little devastating but I hear there are plans for an outdoor pool too, so we’ll just have to come back. Spa treatments use Scottish cult beauty brand, Ishgha and there’s plenty of blissed out pampered people passing us by.

We see plenty of signs of weddings on site too. The venue is a popular one for locals and internationals, with a big permanent marquee and a more intimate stone manor home set up for all types of weddings.

When it’s time to learn, we walk down the red carpet and out into the sun, ready to tell everyone that Scotland’s honeymoons are not at all what you might imagine. They’re much, much more fun!

Mar Hall Golf Resort & Spa proves that a Scottish honeymoon can be as luxurious as it is unforgettable. Whether you’re seeking a fairytale castle stay, alfresco moments, or simply a romantic escape near Glasgow, this historic estate delivers on every level. Thank you again to Lisa Perkovic and the Mar Hall team for the stunning photographs and for sharing their insider perspective on this exceptional Scottish getaway.

About Lisa Perkovic: Lisa has spent the past decade travelling the world writing for Australia’s leading newspapers, magazines, and blogs about all things travel. Her own honeymoon was her pièce de résistance – an epic journey to the Maldives and South Africa. Now she loves nothing more than sharing destinations and tips to help other newlyweds work out how to have the honeymoon of their dreams.