Spacious country house for 12 with hot tub - pets welcome

This gorgeous house is set in beautiful highland countryside and is an idyllic setting for a get-together of family or friends. Nearby are famous golf courses, distilleries, castles and fabulous walking from the doorstep so you might not have time to drive the hour to Edinburgh or Glasgow to explore their delights! Indeed many guests don't stray far and just enjoy relaxing in front of the open fire or in the hot tub, watching the red squirrels and admiring the view!

The Old Manse is a delightful 18th century house lying in the tiny hamlet of Monzie, just 3 miles north of Crieff. Surrounded by the glorious Perthshire countryside, it is an idyllic spot and ideally located to explore much of Scotland. It's a very spacious house so perfect for a gathering of family or friends to celebrate a special occasion or for a longer holiday.

Perthshire itself offers stunning scenery and a huge variety of things to do. The surrounding hills, glens and lochs provide interesting walks (lots from the doorstep), cycling (on and off road), hill climbing, water sports, fishing, shooting and stalking. There are lots of good golf courses nearby including a championship 18 hole course in Crieff, and Gleneagles is just 12 miles away, with its three championship courses, equestrian centre and shooting school. Stirling (with its magnificent castle) is just 40 minutes away, and all the many attractions of Edinburgh and Glasgow are easily reached by train or car.

Crieff is a historic town and has a good range of restaurants and cafes, as well as the oldest distillery in Scotland at Glenturret (a two Michelin star restaurant is there too if you want a big treat!). Perth has a great array of independent shops, art galleries, museum, theatre and concert hall. There are lots of fabulous castles, historic homes and gardens in the area to visit too. Wildlife is everywhere: red kites, sea eagles, ospreys, golden eagles (if you are lucky!), lapwings, oyster catchers, magnificent skeins of geese, red squirrels, otters and deer.

Or you may prefer just to relax at the Old Manse: perhaps playing a game of croquet, unwinding in the garden admiring the views (in or out of the hot tub!) or putting your feet up in front of the fire!

The owners use it as their holiday home so it feels very much like a home, rather than a sterile holiday house!

On the ground floor is the enormous kitchen which has a 4 door Aga, American-style fridge/freezer, Nespresso machine, microwave, dishwasher and lots of crockery and cooking utensils - hopefully everything you will need is there. There is a large wooden table and at the far end a sofa and TV and DVD player. There is a laundry room (with WC off) with a washing machine and overhead pulley drier. A conservatory leads off the kitchen and it's a great place to relax in if the weather isn't warm enough to sit outside.

Also on the ground floor is a double bedroom with a large ensuite shower-room (perfect for the less mobile) and it has doors leading out to the garden. The dining hall has a dining room table and a piano (very out of tune though!) and there is another WC too. The charming sitting room has an open fire, comfy sofas and superb views to the south.

Upstairs is a large bedroom with a super-king bed, fitted wardrobe and ensuite shower room; a smaller twin bedroom; a double bedroom with ensuite shower room; a very large bedroom with basin and 4 single beds. The family bathroom has a shower over the pea shaped bath and a separate WC. All the beds have electric blankets so you will be cosy in the winter months!

There is lots of parking outside the house. The large garden is fully enclosed so your children and dogs can play safely outside. There is a hot tub, large trampoline and a variety of garden games are provided too. There is an outside table with 12 chairs so you can dine outside in good weather - perhaps using the charcoal BBQ or sitting around the fire pit. The skies are dark here so it's ideal for star-gazing. Red squirrels are frequently seen in the garden - playing on the lawn or visiting the feeding box.

This is a very relaxing house and a perfect place to unwind and enjoy being with your family or friends.