'A visit to The Shire' - magical Scottish getaway goes viral on TikTok, here's the story behind it

Fans of a certain famous fantasy book series simply can't get enough of an incredible Scottish glamping destination, which features two round-doored, "burrow" like, grass-roofed holiday cottages built into the hillside.

Craighead Howfs in Perthshire is a series of lovingly-crafted, quirky glamping options "where time stands still", created over a thirty-year period. It sits amid enchanting gardens, a serene lochan, and picturesque woodlands. There are lots of animals there too, including sheep, highland cows, ponies and alpacas.

All of the accommodation at Craighead Howfs has been hand built by owners Heather and Ian Keir, with help from their eldest son Lewis, and a visit there really is like stepping directly into Middle-earth.

So much so, in fact, that a video of the Green Burrow, posted by a user called @sheagardner93, recently went viral on TikTok. Captioned "a visit to The Shire in Scotland", it has 146,000 views at the time of writing, and dozens of comments, including one person who announced they were adding the Green Burrow to their "bucket list."

However, there's much more to Craighead Howfs than one 50 second video can tell you. This extraordinary holiday location near Dunblane has a fascinating backstory too.

Owner Heather Keir explains: "When we were entrusted with Craighead it was in serious need of renovation. It had just the garden and yard immediately round about it. The walls were damp and when the wind blew the slates all chatted to us!

"We used to take it in turns each morning to run down and light the fire before the children woke up!"

However her husband, Ian, is a talented joiner, and before long work was underway to gradually transform Craighead Howfs into the magical destination it is today.

After buying seven acres of adjacent land, the first holiday let to be completed was Muckle Howf, a traditional Scottish stone-built steading, now converted into a luxury three-bedroom holiday cottage. It's the most traditional of the units at Craighead, and the only one that's suitable for children to stay in. It also has a hot tub.

After that came the Wee Tree Howf, a Swiss Family Robinson style treehouse perched on stilts beside the lochan and above a tumbling burn, followed by the Summer Howf (a renovated summer house beside a duck pond).

Then they built the majestic Ash Tree Howf: a huge treehouse with amazing 360-degree views over the Ochil Hills and beyond.

Heather says that Ian then decided that a patch at the bottom of the field reminded him of a fantasy landscape, which inspired him to build the Green and Red Burrows.

Almost everything inside the Burrows is carefully hand-crafted from stone and wood, to maintain the illusion that you're in another world, complete with a wee kitchen area that's ideal for preparing second breakfast, or maybe toasting some lembas bread.

"Ian’s creative and has got a quirky style," Heather explains. "He started making things at 18 - a grandfather clock for his mum - and he’s always worked full tilt. He came from a traditional, hard-working farming background and was out in the tattie field when he was about five. He just has a really keen eye and a clear vision."

Ian and Heather's son, Lewis, followed his father into the joinery trade and now runs his own business. He created hand-crafted wooden sinks for both of the Burrows.

Part of that vision is to make sure that guests have a truly fantastic time, and maintaining the quality of the overall experience. Heather continues: "Since we first started out, glamping has taken off as a term, everyone has jumped on the bandwagon.

"We could have easily just put up rows of pods in a field and put lots more here if we wanted to, but that’s just not what we are. One of the most important things is that every single unit is different, hand built and all in their own little environment.

"We do still feel its very much our home, we love people to wander round the garden and grounds as Ian’s spent a long time developing them and that’s the main driving force behind keeping the garden and animals as they are, because people love it."

She says that many people decide to propose to their loved ones at Craighead Howfs, then come back for their honeymoon and anniversary.

"We’re so proud of our reviews.. Nearly all are five star; people seem particularly keen on the peace and tranquillity, and the quirkiness of the builds including the interior."

Reflecting on how far the family has come, Heather says: "We often say to people we never intended any of this to happen and that really is the case. It has just happened, around about us and the kids!

"Maybe I will write a book about it all one day and call it 'The Unintended Journey'."

You can find out more about Craighead Howfs and book online here.

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