The world of the Elevenses (a morning tea break for shooters) and the Glorious Twelfth (from August: the start of the grouse season) is an enigmatic world that usually requires an invitation or a stately home address at birth. If neither applies, and a WhatsApp group with pigeon emojis has failed to get off the ground, rest assured that cool pursuits are accessible through a series of nationwide hotel stays. The chic set even enjoys the same retreats.
North of the border, seasoned stalkers (the deer genre) and novices alike can take to the hills to track wandering deer, while falconry, archery, fishing and clay pigeon shooting are on offer in any self-respecting country hotel on our islands. . Pack your twees and your plus fours: these are the best British hotels for countryside activities.
Glenmorangie House Hotel, Tain Scotland
Best for: Keeping bees
Glenmorangie House Hotel – just 15 minutes from the legendary distillery – has a pink exterior that is a fantastic mix of tartans and Missoni flowers. When they’re not tasting glasses or munching toast in a playfully wallpapered morning room, guests can test their accuracy with a round of clay, archery or even have a go at Tossing the Caber, Scot’s Hammer and other Highland Games. But in the soft, beautiful gardens of Glenmorangie House, a more niche (and increasingly popular) outdoor activity awaits: a row of beehives you can approach in full moon walking suits, and swarms of bees to care for.
Doubles from £325. glenmorangie.com
The Beckford Arms, Fonthill Estate, Wiltshire
Best for: A group shoot
The Beckford Arms is one of those real Georgian pubs with overhanging ivy and the inviting smell of beer as you enter. It’s not all muddy flagstones, though: the pub has undergone a gentle renovation, with the floors and Ercol chairs reminiscent of a more upmarket establishment than your average pub. The café-with-rooms aspect is also worth checking out. There are earthy rooms decorated with modern prints upstairs or the whimsical wonder ‘the great Arch’ on the Fonthill Estate to linger in.
Country sports run through the blood of this Wiltshire estate, with fly fishing or deer stalking easily arranged by the ghillies. And if there was ever a better opportunity to play country squire, shootouts are Fonthill’s bread and butter, with groups taking over the pub and whoever put all the organizational hours into packing up the novel-worthy Arch.
Doubles from €105. beckfordarms.com
Bovey Castle, Devon
Best for: Family land activities
Presiding over its 275 hectares of wild, windswept landscape, Bovey Castle is a sprawling Elizabethan pile with almost as many outdoor activities as bedrooms. Families (*read: bored kids) are woven into the estate’s layout and activities menu, with a ‘whatever the weather’ mentality that sees you throwing a fishing line into the onrushing Bovey or fine-tuning your hand-eye coordination with a rifle, like the clays spin into the air.
Spread across Devon’s Dartmoor National Park, with gentle valleys and a rocky, rust-coloured landscape, the estate offers some epic off-road experiences, and guests (along with their excited brood) can join the estate’s deer keepers on guided tours of the deer park, and to feed the estate’s fawns.
Double rooms from £325 per night, self-catering lodges from £750 per night (up to 6 people). boveycastle.com
Lucknam Park, Wiltshire
Best for: To ride
A lesson in building suspense: the Palladian appearance of Lucknam Park only comes into view after a mile-long drive through beech and lime trees. The 18th century house offers all the period drama appeal you could hope for during a stay in the countryside. It features an unapologetically classic interior, plus Jane Austen-style backdrops and gardens filled with topiary. Such commitment to tradition is reflected in the country sports on offer, such as clay pigeon shooting, archery and falconry, although Lucknam Park is best known for its riding school – one of the best in the country. Brisk gallops through the surrounding parkland are a treat for the seasoned rider to muse on (rounded off with a trip to the cavernous spa), while beginners can hop into the saddle at the riding school, regardless of age.
Doubles from £295 per night. pobhotels.com
The Fife Arms, Cairngorms Scotland
Best for: Horse riding and pony riding
Art titans Iwan and Manuela Wirth’s Highland hotel (with lairdish decor with a twist) puts on a rural haunting show that’s as impressive as the contemporary works lining the walls. As well as salmon fishing in the Rivers Dee, Don or Tay and off-roading a Ghillie through the Invercauld Estate, guests can saddle up for a trot through the ancient pine forests and heather-clad hills on either side of Glen Tanar. There’s also an illegal stills pony tour, where we relive the Highland distilling era (on hooves), with a picnic lunch strapped to the saddle of MacNab the Pony, and of course plenty of whisky.
Doubles from £434 per night. thefifearms.com
Glenapp Castle, Ayrshire
Best for: Field sports
Surrounded by ancient woodlands that flow into Scotland’s rugged west coast, Glenapp Castle is as authentic as it gets. The towering, towering, stately splendor exerts a negative influence on those who rush into the driveway, and inside the rooms are formally dressed. Outdoors, field sports enthusiasts are in their element. Top shoots and stalking days (or individual guided trips) are routinely organized here and on the surrounding estates. You join a tradition as old as the hills and the silent forests themselves.
Doubles from £424 per night. glenappcastle.com
The retreat at Elcot Park, Berkshire
Best for: Local shoots
Entering the redbrick Retreat in Elcot Park is like stepping into a tastemaker’s Pinterest board, where muted tones have been replaced by flashes of color. The red-striped stools and blue-lacquered bamboo lampshades may feel a bit like a Mayfair country members’ club, but it’s a playful departure from the stuffy drawing rooms and opulent libraries of many of Britain’s country hotels. That does not mean that they are not aware of the national tradition. The Retreat has teamed up with local photographers in Tidgrove, Sutton Estate and Rookes Nest for a top day of pheasant shooting in the Kennet Valley. Transport and refreshments along the way are arranged, along with picnics (on request) and a deep, mural-covered bath that winks at you as you peel off your sweaty plus-fours.
Doubles from £250 per night. retreatelcotpark.com
Gleneagles, Perthshire
Best for: Fate
Gleneagle’s mix of Scottish outdoor spirit and Jazz Age energy makes it well worth the effort to chug across the border. The sporting cache is known as the original ‘Glorious Playground’ with championship golf courses, a salmon-rich River Tay and endless heather-covered hills to trudge through in search of an elusive deer. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a country retreat that doesn’t offer it, as the top-to-bottom renovation has boosted the activities menu. Whether it’s archery for beginners, an afternoon trying to pelt clay from a warm wooden box or seasoned riders mastering their jumping skills with expert lessons, Gleneagles guests rarely experience boredom. Their outdoor efforts are rewarded with a long stay in the hotel’s enormous spa or a sharp cocktail in the Roaring Twenties-style bar.
Doubles from £575 per night. gleneagles.com
Ashford Castle, County Mayo
Best for: Cruising on the lake
It might not sound like a high energy sport, but once you’ve ticked off falconry and fly fishing, hop aboard one of the QE2’s famous lifeboats (yes, they were bought at auction in 1975 by the owner’s father ) and cruising Lough Corrib is by far the best way to enjoy the mist-strewn beauty of this beautiful Irish estate. Here absurdly green forests meet flat, glassy lakes and the landscape all listens to its melancholy master, a huge figure with a silhouette of battlements and all the draped, gilded chandeliers you could wish for.
Doubles from £506 per night. ashfordcastle.com
Chewton Glen, Hampshire
Best for: Falconry
Chewton Glen is located on the edge of the New Forest and within walking distance of the Hampshire coast. A weekend here is all about getting outside for some fresh air, then retreating to the hotel’s traditional fire-lit lounges or suite of modern, luxurious treehouses. After you’ve pierced the bullseye on the archery board and thrashed the whole family at croquet, why not soothe the competitive energy with a humbling stint in falconry? Falconers will take guests through the history of the bird of prey, with flight demonstrations before they can put on a glove and tune in to the energy of the great bird.
Doubles from £375 per night. www.cheatonglen.com