Fonab Castle Hotel, Scotland: Not your traditional castle stay

From the moment you first glimpse Fonab Castle Hotel from its curving, tree-lined driveway, it's clear this isn't your traditional castle stay. A four-storey pile of red sandstone, boasting a jumble of conical turrets, chimneys and crow-stepped gables, it soars beside a sprinkling of chic wooden lodges that could have been plucked out of Lapland or the Canadian Rockies.

But this dashing marriage of old and new graces the romantic wooded shores of Loch Faskally, just outside Pitlochry, a well-to-do Perthshire town that shot to fame in the 1840s when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert came for a summer vacation – kickstarting a love affair with Scotland that culminated in the building of Balmoral Castle (still a beloved Highland holiday home of the present-day royals).

I'm pit-stopping in Pitlochry on my own Highland fling – well, road trip – having been seduced by Fonab's reputation as a five-star treat in which to eat, drink and sleep. While its attractive modern lodges host 29 rooms, I'm glad to be bedding down in the castle itself. It was constructed in 1892, in Scots Baronial style, as a family abode for the Sandeman dynasty of Perth, which made a mint from the port and sherry business.

After later serving as a hospital for wounded World War I soldiers, then laying dormant for years, it's revelling in its stylish 21st century makeover. Checked in, I'm ushered by Alan, the affable kilted doorman, past classic dark wood-panelled walls, into a funky lift illuminated by colourful lights, and up to room 201 – one of the castle's 13 spacious ''signature'' rooms.

Set in one of the turrets, it's a smart blend of antique and modern, with bygone wooden cabinets and tartan-patterned curtains and carpets complemented by a Nespresso machine, shiny white bathroom with touch-lit mirror and Thierry Mugler toiletries, and velvet sofa and snuggler that screams trendy Glasgow cocktail bar. So comfy is the king-size bed, matted with Egyptian cotton and duck and goose down pillows, I could happily laze away the afternoon, wrapped in a fluffy bath-robe.

But it doesn't pay to be too idle; there's heaps to do on the castle's doorstep. Pitlochry, with its elegant Victorian stone architecture and quaint cafes and tearooms, is pleasant to amble round, while scenic, thigh-straining hikes abound in the hilly trails fringing town. Get a map from the concierge, who can also arrange other activities, such as shooting, angling, off-road 4x4 driving, and golf (Pitlochry has an 18-hole course, while the legendary Gleneagles is an hour's drive away).

Having spent the last two days canoeing through the nearby Cairngorms National Park, I soothe my jaded muscles in Fonab's spa; swimming mini-lengths in the small pool, soaking in the bubbling hot tub, and meditating in the aromatic steam rooms, which, temperature-wise, range from being toasty to Uluru-in-summer-like-hot. Massages and other spa treatments can also be booked.

For dinner, Fonab's in-house offerings are excellent, especially its Sandemans Restaurant, regarded as one of the best fine-dining destinations north of Edinburgh. As Pavarotti tunes permeate this dimly-lit, ambient space, I spend almost three hours indulging in a multi-course tasting menu (£75/$125, plus £49/$82 with wine flight).

Standouts include the herb-encrusted Perthshire lamb, which goes superbly with herbal-tinged Piemonte Nebbiolo red; the slow-cooked, melt-in-the-mouth, sambuca-puree-drizzled Scottish salmon; and the panna cotta bursting with lavender, strawberry and passion fruit.