15 Jul 2015
Portavadie’s new Loch-side spa takes advantage of stunning Scottish views to create an atmosphere of ‘understated luxury’
BY Jane Kitchen
Scottish destination property Portavadie is opening a 1,991sq m (21,431sq ft) spa and leisure centre in the coming months that takes full advantage of its views over Loch Fyne on Scotland’s west coast.
The new facilities mark the next stage in a £10m (US$15.5m, €14m) phased development and will include a 9x9m (30x30ft) heated outdoor infinity pool that the owners say is the largest in Scotland.
The spa and leisure centre includes four treatment rooms, six swimming pools (including a children’s splash pool), a Scandinavian glass sauna that faces the Loch, hydro pool, steam room, Precor-equipped gym, and a 10-bed relaxation area with floor-to-ceiling views across Loch Fyne to the Isle of Arran.
“The ethos of the entire project is to capture the beauty of the Highland landscape,” Iain Jurgensen, general manager of Portavadie told Spa Opportunities. “...We want to create a picture frame for the changing seasons, the changing moods, the changing skyline, and the changing colours of the landscape.
“...You won’t see too much artwork on the walls, because the artwork is outside,” he continued.
Designed by Largs, Ayrshire-based Stewart Associates, the spa uses glass, local stone, white oak and walnut to create a natural setting that is “sympathetic to the view at all times,” said Jurgensen, and creates a feeling of “understated luxury.”
When the spa was still in the planning stages, architect Brian Stewart discussed the idea of the infinity pool, telling Spa Opportunities he wanted to design it to feel like it was part of the Loch, and that, “On a clear day, it will feel like you’re swimming over to Arran.”
The spa will use Decleor products for anti-ageing facials, as well as the Portavadie Signature Red Island Exfoliation Ritual and the Portavadie Signature Madagascar Escape Massage. It will also use aroma wraps, full-body aromatherapy treatments and an anti-fatigue citrus energy boost.
In addition, it will feature ishga products, developed in the Outer Hebrides using Scottish seaweed from the Isle of Lewis, in keeping with the focus on the local area. A hot poultice massage, lava shells massage, and an anti-ageing rejuvenator facial all use the ishga line.
The spa also features custom-made cabinets and manicure stations, and ergonomically designed relaxation beds by Lemi Group. Stephen McCafferty has been named spa & leisure manager.
The entire spa and leisure centre will be powered by a biomass boiler, using locally harvested wood chips.
Owned by the Bulloch family, Portavadie includes 33 properties in wide range of accommodation, from five-star luxury apartments to self-catering, pet-friendly cottages; lodge bedrooms; studio apartments; and even an eco-retreat. The property has pitched itself as a destination rather than an exclusive resort, said Jurgensen, and aims “to become the inclusive destination of choice on the west coast of Scotland.”
The property also includes a marina with 230 berths, as well as two function rooms, a boutique retail shop, and a new cafe that will churn its own ice cream and serve wood-fired pizzas. The spa cafe will serve locally-sourced Bento box lunches, as well as tea and coffee.
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