Review of Boath House Spa, Nairn

Boath House Spa, Nairn - 4 bubbles

Boath House offers gourmet food, distinctively individual accommodation, and personal and friendly service. It's not really a spa, having just two treatment rooms and no pools or other spa features. However, you can have an indulgent and relaxing stay here, with the Aveda treatments an enhancing well-being add-on.

Was it easy to book?

First impressions?

How did they welcome you?

What happens next?

Which treatments did you have?

What were the treatments like?

How did you feel afterwards?

What happens afterwards?

Long-term effects

Was it worth it?

What else could you have?

Any special features?

Who do you think would like it?

Why did you give the spa this rating?

Would you go again?

Was it easy to book?

Yes, as we were invited to stay. However, the therapists don't work full-time so I guess booking treatments can be a little hit or miss.

First impressions?

A grand entrance along a short drive and through woodland gardens dotted with unusual sculptures. Boath House itself is an elegant and inviting Georgian stone building, with a smaller cottage to one side.

How did they welcome you?

To say the welcome was immediate would be an understatement. Before we'd even had chance to park the car, Jonathan, Boath House's charming manager (and porter, waiter and receptionist) was extending a warm Highland welcome to our travel-weary family. First impressions count, and this was a very good one.

What happens next?

Jonny (not one for formalities) directed us to our residence for the night, a tasteful and lovingly furnished two-bedroomed cottage a stone's throw from the main hotel. With a car full of family luggage, we welcomed the convenience of being able to park next to our des res for the night. With the bathroom's large power shower and deep free-standing bath peppered with Molton Brown products, Boath House had a sense of spa before we'd even set foot in the main building.

Our room's décor was refreshingly individual, from the Perth-sourced crockery to the unusual wooden bird sitting above our free-standing bath tub.

Which treatments did you have?

I had an Aveda Pure Indulgence treatment (£100, 110 minutes) incorporating a full-body massage and a relaxing facial.

What were the treatments like?

I made my way to the main house. My therapist led me down to the former cellar which has been converted, by a partition screen, into two treatment rooms. Dimly lit and with a low, arched ceiling, it was unlike any treatment room I've ever been in. I liked the fact that the room was dimly lit, just by candles. The temperature was a bit on the cool side, a little like the therapist herself.

My therapist left me to get dressed down and couched up, then started the treatment with a good facial cleanse. She used what felt like a creamy, foaming face wash, and a soft brush which she circled over my face. She rinsed the suds off with hot towels. She then exfoliated and toned my skin and massaged the front of my body with firm, sweeping strokes. The pressure was spot on -- enough to address my muscle tension but not enough to make me wince.

Just as I was getting into the massage, I got an inconvenient tickle in my throat. This went on long enough for my therapist to need to leave and get me a glass of water while I spluttered and willed my coughing fit to disappear. The therapist came back, completely un-phased, gave me the water and waited for me to regain some semblance of composure. I was impressed by how much she took the interruption in her stride. She just continued the massage as though nothing had happened.

After massaging my front, my therapist asked me to roll over so she could massage my back. The hot towels used during my facial felt pleasant and effective but they had the downside of making the couch feel cold and wet when I turned over to lie on to my front. They soon warmed up with my body heat, but ideally the therapist should have replaced the damp towels at this stage. She continued to massage my back in a focused and effective way, spending quite a few minutes on my knotty shoulder area. She then targeted my arms and legs and finished the treatment with a great scalp massage.

This treatment was of a very good standard and the scalp massage, especially, was sheer bliss -- even if it did give me a seriously bad hair day.

How did you feel afterwards?

Very relaxed, with any tension from the previous five hours of travelling erased, but conscious of the fact that the oil in my hair made it look like I hadn't washed my tresses for a couple of weeks.

What happens afterwards?

I tracked down my family, who were admiring the iron ducks by the estate's lake. We retreated to the comfort of our cottage before getting ready for dinner.

My husband and I had been asked to confirm our menu choice earlier in the evening. The food at Boath House is cooked to order. We enjoyed confit of salmon and succulent duck breast to start, followed by melt-in-the-mouth halibut with coconut rice, mango and ginger. A mouth-watering and artistic lemon-balm ice cream with and chocolate-and-cocoa-nib cake finished the meal. Cocoa nibs are roasted cocoa beans, crushed into small, crunchy pieces. Divine.

Long-term effects

I'm not sure whether I can honestly attribute any long-term effects directly to the massage. But, overall, Boath House is a great place to chill-out and, considered alongside the food, accommodation and service, it made for a highly indulgent and original experience.

Was it worth it?

Absolutely. Boath House has a lovely personal feel and the standards are high all round. Also, the spa and restaurant are open to non-residents, so you don't have to stay at the hotel to sample some of the Boath House indulgence.

What else could you have?

A good variety of Aveda facials, including a glycolic peel. You can enjoy Thai or hot stone massage, or an Essential Back Treatment to make your spine feel fine. A Revitalizing Eye Treatment promises to banish dark circles and puffiness. There's a small range of beauty treatments, reflexology, and a choice of three half-day packages, including lunch.

Any special features?

The Boath House Hotel and Spa is the only location in the north of Scotland to offer Aveda treatments.

Boath House, although not aimed at families, was very good at accommodating our children. They prepared a fantastic tea of fresh fish, crushed potatoes and baby asparagus for our little lovelies in their own private dining room.

Who do you think would like it?

Gourmet spa-goers.

Anyone looking to combine a stylish, friendly hotel with fantastic, fresh and local food and a good massage on the side.

Why did you give the spa this rating?

We gave Boath House 4 bubbles. This was a tricky one to rate as Boath House isn't primarily about spa. It's about fine food, and luxurious, homely accommodation, which it does impressively well. My spa treatment was a pleasant add-on; relaxing and well-executed; it enhanced the overall indulgence of my stay and rates a good 4 bubbles.

The treatment was good, but the relaxation benefit was seriously enhanced by Boath's passion and skill for gourmet food and their friendly individual approach. A scan of the bursting comments book showed that my appraisal was by no means original. I was amused to see that the only negative comment had been defaced by subsequent happy guests!

However: Boath House is not a spa, and doesn't pretend to be one. It has two treatment rooms, no pool, no sauna or steam room, no gym. So if it's a Highland spa-fest you're after, look elsewhere.

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