Sick of the rain? Relax in a spa

The perfect escape from the rain in my book is a few hours locked away in a spa. When I headed down to the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel near Peebles in the Scottish Borders a few weeks ago, it was torrential rain, bouncing off the ground, keeping all the golfers off the course, and making the spa a welcome place to retreat to.

I was there for the ‘Treat Like A Princess‘ deal, which is exceptionally good value. For £85 (£92 Friday to Sunday), you get two hours worth of spa treatments, a gorgeous two-course lunch in the hotel’s lovely Renwick’s restaurant, and full use of the leisure facilities, including the gym, swimming pool, sauna and steam room.

The treatments included are a 30 minute back, neck and shoulder hot stone massage, a 30 minute Decleor Foot Relief and a one-hour Decleor Classic Aromatic Facial. The hot stones were excellent – the stones were at the perfect temperature, and felt wonderful on my skin.

My only other hot-stone experience was a few years ago, and it was horrific – they were far too hot. So, I was glad to wipe that out with this lovely, relaxing half and hour.

After this was finished, I was invited to turn over, some more lovely hot stones were placed down my front, and I was given a relaxing foot massage before my feet were wrapped snugly in towels, with a mask on. It did feel a little cold after a while, and I was glad when the therapist returned to massage it in some more before it was time for my facial.

The one hour facial didn’t incorporate my shoulders or my neck. I did find that a little bit strange – like nothing I’ve experienced before, but it was pleasant, tailored to my skin type, and I did feel very relaxed and sleepy afterwards.

I headed off to the little chill-out room to unwind before my gorgeous lunch. A burger and wedges and a prawn cocktail might not have been the healthiest thing to follow my treatments, but boy it tasted good!

For more information on this and other deals at the Macdonald Cardrona Hotel, visit macdonaldhotels.co.uk. And of course, for more fantastic spa deals, check out 5pm Health and Beauty, where there are always amazing deals on offer across the country, perfect for hidsing from the rain! (and when I left, the sun was shining again!)

There are also some excellent overnight deals at the Macdonald Cardrona – and it’s a lovely place to escape to! Visit the website for more information.