Lean in, because this is the kind of stay you sort of want to keep to yourself. The Treehouses at Leckie, just outside Stirling, Scotland, are more than just places to sleep — they’re actual nests in the trees. Real ones. Not the cutesy garden kind, either, but proper raised hideaways built among oak and sycamore, with names like Goldfinch and Wren and Siskin. Which already sounds poetic, doesn’t it?
There are four of them. Four distinct personalities, tucked into the forest. Chiffchaff is the grounded one — quite literally, it has step-free access, warm reclaimed wood interiors, and that comforting cabin feel. Goldfinch is hidden deeper in the woods, calm and hushed, with that quiet that makes you want to tiptoe. Wren? Wren is the sleek one. Minimalist vibes, a stream-crossing bridge, and a deck that makes you want to sit with tea and forget you ever owned a phone. Siskin’s built around this old oak, with a huge terrace and the kind of BBQ setup that makes you overcommit to dinner. It also smells faintly of cedar, in a way that’s… addictive?
Inside, it’s all the good stuff without the fuss. Underfloor heating (bliss), log burners, fully kitted kitchens, and outdoor copper baths that somehow make you feel like royalty even when your hair’s doing wild things in the wind. There’s no TV, no Wi-Fi — just 4G if you must check your emails (but please don’t).
Mornings here are slow. Breakfast ingredients are waiting when you arrive — fresh eggs, baguettes, maybe local jam if you’re lucky. And yes, you can book a massage in your treehouse. A real one. As in, someone comes to you, and suddenly your life makes a lot more sense.
It’s only 45 minutes from Glasgow or about an hour from Edinburgh, but it feels remote in the best way. You can walk through the estate’s woodland, watch the mist roll in over the Gargunnock Hills, or head to the local pub — the Gargunnock Inn — for something comforting and warm (and dog-friendly, in case you’ve brought a furry plus-one).
There’s wildlife everywhere. Owls hoot at night. Deer tiptoe past in the morning. You’ll spot flashes of fur, feathers, and occasionally an owl box tucked high above like a secret.
It’s not perfect, of course. You might get muddy, you’ll probably forget how light switches work after all those candles. But you’ll leave feeling weirdly restored. Like nature pressed some kind of quiet reset button.
And if you fall in love with this kind of stay — which, honestly, you probably will — The Treehouses at Lanrick are just 8.7 km away. Just saying. You could make a whole foresty thing of it.
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