Page 46 of The Christmas Highland Lodge

Now I was darting between each of the cabins with Stephanie, as well as Ruth, the newly recruited cleaner of the cabins, having just received the arrival of cushions, lamps, chairs, sofas and bedding for each one.

The air was fresh and tinged with the promise of frost, as the helpful delivery men offered to manoeuvre the sofas and chairs into each cabin for us.

My heart lifted with excitement and a bout of trepidation, as I assisted Stephanie and Ruth with positioning the lamps, plumping and arranging the new cushions and flapping the new, fresh bedding.

We had been here since just after 5am this morning. The sleepy hot-orange sunrise had spilt across Loch Strathe and the tops of the trees, washing over everything and making it look as though it was catching fire.

Each cabin was now transforming in front of our eyes, into bright little havens of joy, with their own unique colour schemes and fittings.

The Winter Wonderland cabin was a sea of glittery snow globes on the glossy shelves, powder-blue and cream bedding and a squashy dark-blue sofa and matching chairs.

The Nutcracker cabin was all soldiers and sugar plum fairies, decked out with gold and white, wooden soldier figures and matching Christmas flower arrangements thrusting out of frosted vases.

The bedding was crisp and white with gold detail and there were matching coloured star ornaments in the bedroom and sitting room, complete with the sheepskin fleeces adorning the backs of the sofas and beds in each cabin.

The next cabin, reflecting A Christmas Carol, invited in guests with its splashes of rich burgundy and Victorian-style decorations. There were long, dramatic velvet drapes at the windows and a couple of paisley printed rugs and an ornate candelabra on the dining area table.

The lamps were small and unique, topped with detailed fringed lampshades.

And the fourth cabin, reflecting a rustic woodland theme, boasted animal ornaments made out of wood and pinecones, a roaring log fire and fringed hessian rugs. The heavy stone fireplace carried a red and green string of ivy at the top of it, decorated with bright-red ribbons.

We worked from first thing that Wednesday morning, shuffling, adjusting, arranging and tweaking, before Kim appeared from the office based in Rowan Moore House to tell us the small Christmas trees and their decorations for each of the cabin porches were about to arrive.

Stephanie had greeted us outside the cabins with a couple of warm croissants and a flask of coffee for breakfast when we had first arrived, but it had seemed so long ago now. That was why I was so delighted to see Kim was carrying a tray laden with a pot of tea, mugs and a plate of warm scones. We were all running on adrenalin.

We threw ourselves at her like three relieved and famished shipwrecked passengers spotting a lifeboat.

‘If you let me know what each of you would like for lunch, I’ll pop down to the town and get you something.’

‘You are a star, Kim,’ I grinned, dusting my hands down the front of my old jeans and taking a welcome gulp of my tea.

Stephanie pressed two hands at the base of her spine. ‘That would be great, Kim, if you don’t mind. Thank you.’

After a bit of debate, Stephanie and I agreed that we both fancied one of Mrs Crill’s turkey, cranberry and salad toasties and one of her spiced lattes, while Ruth requested a baked potato with coleslaw and salad. Definitely winter comfort food!

‘I’ll get those and bring them over around midday then,’ said Kim. ‘And none of you overdo it, please! If you need another pair of hands, please just let me know.’

And off she hurried in her patchwork, rainbow jacket back to the house.

We had just finished the tea and devoured the warm buttered scones between us when there was the sound of tyres through the woodland and the sharp slam of a vehicle door.

Three delivery men approached us, clutching four fake Christmas trees between them and boxes of decorations. The child in me zinged with excitement.

Stephanie and I proceeded to unwrap the four trees – electric blue, white, gold and silver – together with the boxes of decorations to accompany them, which gave a gentle rattle.

I had also remembered to bring with me two cardboard boxes of the end-of-line ornaments I had bought from Christmas Crackers and which I thought would complement the new decorations.

Then there were the matching cabin door wreaths, which reflected the colours of the trees. The baubles that were studded into each one alongside the holly and tiny lights shone out.

Stephanie stood back, a look of joy riven in her handsome, elegant features. ‘They are all going to look so pretty!’ She thrust a finger in the air. ‘I just had a thought. I’ve got a small blue and silver cuddly robin that we could put in the Winter Wonderland window. I think it would really compliment the blue in the tree.’

I looked up from where I was kneeling down on the porch, separating the branches of the newly arrived tree. ‘That sounds lovely.’

Stephanie started to walk in the direction of the house. ‘I’ll go and get it then. I think it’s in our Christmas box in the loft. Max should be around, so I’ll ask him to give me a hand locating it. Won’t be long.’

‘Don’t rush,’ I said. ‘I’m fine here.’

Ruth admired the door wreaths. ‘Well, I can press on with putting these up then, and making sure all the tinsel has stayed put.’