Welcome to Scotland’s Neverland…in Angus

Some say west is best, but I’ve just visited Angus on the east coast and was utterly smitten.

Balbinny Steadings was our self-catering luxury bolt-hole for three nights.

Set in gorgeous farmland between the market towns of Forfar and Brechin, it really is the last word in luxury.

A brand new development, set on a working family farm, it offers a variety of flexible accommodation looking over the River South Esk.

Three stone-clad cottages and two glass-fronted ‘Hobbit holes’ with grass roofs are set around the heart of the development a beautiful, heated year-round swimming pool, jacuzzi and gym.

We arrived in the midst of a May hailstone shower and headed straight to the pool to unwind after the short, two-hour-something car hop from Glasgow.

My girls Iris, two, Megan, four, and Lou, never a day over 21 were in bliss.

Back in our villa we marvelled at the thought and attention to detail that has gone into making Balbinny the seven-star lovechild descendant of Center Parcs and Gleneagles.

Luxury walk-in dressing rooms and bathrooms bigger than most people’s living rooms? Check.

Special wine-cooling fridge to keep your Sauvignon supremely chilly? Check.

Spinning designer leather furniture that looks like it’s from the 50 Shades trilogy and a heated balcony that offers a view better than anything showing on the luxury mounted plasma? Double check to that too.

We found ourselves being sucked in by the view and the nightly antics of a giant buzzard and its battles with the hardy, local fighting crows.

Simple pleasures.

But what is there to do if you can drag yourself away from this small slice of heaven on earth?

There’s no doubt Balbinny would make a marvellous base for golfers given the plethora of world-class courses on its doorstep.

And for families there’s an abundance of things to do.

A couple of minutes’ drive away we discovered the must-see Lunan Bay beach.

One of the most beautiful beaches in Scotland, it has attracted countless visitors throughout the ages, from Viking armies to generations of holidaymakers.

After a sunny morning spent drawing giant pictures in the sand with flotsam and jetsam sticks, we found ourselves gorging on scones and jam at the nearby Lunan Bay Diner.

The sugar rush must have accounted for our afternoon spent playing hide-and-seek at nearby Restenneth Priory.

This dark and mysterious ruin stands at the epicentre of what was a powerful Pictish kingdom as

further evidenced by the ancient stones that can be found along the footpaths at Balbinny.

The ruins of a Roman fort (which must have been manned by extremely brave or foolhardy centurions, depending on how you look at it) is also within walking distance.

Branching out, Glamis Castle, the childhood home of the Queen Mother, and the impressive House of Dun can both be reached within 20 minutes

Another strong local recommendation?

Bundle the kids into the car and take them to Murton Farm where for less than a tenner a family of four can have one of the most enjoyable days out in this hemisphere.

This petting-zoo-cum-adventure-play-park is brill for people of all ages, from toddlers to grandparents.

All this gallivanting makes for hungry mouths to feed.

It’d be a sin not to stock up on the number one local delicacy Arbroath smokies.

The best are from Iain R Spink creamy, moist flakes of fishy goodness so utterly delightful you’ll want to weep. Aficionados could also head to the But ’n’ Ben Restaurant in nearby Auchmithie, the original birthplace of the smokie, to try their famous smokie pancakes.

We found ourselves cherry-picking from the fine local speciality shops that can be found in Montrose and Forfar to prepare stupendous feasts courtesy of Balbinny’s super-sleek space-age kitchen.

Relaxing after one blow-out, I found myself musing on Balbinny’s close proximity to the birthplace of author JM Barrie, who created Peter Pan.

In the children’s classic, Neverland is a make-believe place where you never have to grow up.

With Balbinny it’s not make-believe it’s a real life Neverland where the magic never ceases.