The Priory Country Lodge

Description

The Priory Country Lodge is a magnificent stone property in the Tasmanian Central Highlands. Built in 1848 it was recently refurbished into luxurious lodge accommodation. Today, the four-bedroom house is a place of history and tranquility, appointed with an exquisite collection of antiques, fabrics and art works.
Exuberant in summer, intimate in winter, The Priory has everything to keep guests feeling privileged. Do your homework in the hunting room (in anticipation of hooking a huge trout…), retire to the drawing room with a port, or the library room for some intriguing local history. Feeling contemporary? The movie room is ready to play the latest releases. Of course there’s always the fabulous country kitchen, where your private chef is preparing your next meal from local produce.
Outside, the landscaped gardens are tasteful and refined, offering a peaceful retreat and sweeping views of the village of Bothwell and the valley beyond.

Location: Tasmanian Central Highlands

The Tasmanian Central Highlands are an hour north of Hobart, an Alpine region famous for fine hunting and fishing. The heather, mountains and trout-filled lakes are reminiscent of Scotland but the wildlife, the bush walking and the charming outpost towns are distinctly Australian. The region is steeped in history, boasting Australia’s oldest golf course (open to all golfers throughout the year), as well as one of Australia’s top whiskey distilleries, where you can sample the fine malt whiskeys made using pure local Highland waters.

Activities offered by the property

Guests at The Priory enjoy exploring Bothwell and surrounds, which offer a number of quintessential highland experiences (costs apply).
Fishing – There are terrific fly fishing opportunities on the local lakes; guides and all equipment are available. The Priory has fishing equipment and clothing on site and guests are invited to use it free of charge.
Whisky experience – The Nant Distillery produces single malt whisky made from 100% Tasmanian barley and highland water. Handcrafted on the estate using traditional gristing and pot still distillation methods, only a small number of casks are produced every year.
Golf – Bothwell is home to the oldest golf course in Australia.
Cooking classes – The Agrarian Kitchen is a sustainable farm-based cooking school situated in a 19th century schoolhouse at Lachlan, under 1 hour’s drive from The Priory. The Agrarian Kitchen was established by Rodney Dunn and his wife Séverine who moved from Sydney to Tasmania in July 2007 to transform the schoolhouse into Tasmania’s first hands-on, farm-based cooking school.
Wildlife watching
Guided walks – a day walk in the wilderness is available.

Seasonal considerations

The Priory is open all year. The peak time to travel is from October to May when the weather is warmer.

Dining

Breakfast and dinner is included at The Priory.

Suitable/best for

Couples
Honeymooners
Small Groups
Solo Traveller

Individual room description

The lodge has four luxurious bedrooms located at the top of a Golden Huon Pine staircase.
Each bedroom has an ensuite (stunning marble bathrooms enjoying deep bath and underfloor heating), a king size bed, individual fabrics designed by Jim Thompson, art and antiques. These custom-made beds offer a peaceful night’s sleep in the quiet Tasmanian countryside.

There are also 2 additional Valley View suites, which are privately located next to the main house, set amongst the garden with extensive views down the Clyde Valley.