Mr & Mrs Smith

There’s so much to do here, you’ll find few reasons to venture off the estate. Identify celestial bodies through the powerful telescope in the observatory. The Highland Course lures leisure and pro-golfers with its challenging design and unbeatable views. Anglers can reel in wild trout along six craggy miles of the Dan River on guided catch-and-release fly-fishing excursions. If you’re in search of calmer, more solitary pursuits, head to Duck Pond, one of the three stocked ponds; there’s a charge of US$6 to keep your catches. Hunters can find sustainable prey such as whitetail deer, pheasants and wild turkeys on guided excursions, and are welcome to bring their own dogs and guns. Or practise your aim the eco-friendly way any time of year at the lodge’s 14-station sporting clay area; prices start at US$15 each. Whether you’re an avid trekker or a stop-and-smell-the-roses rambler, there's a nature hike for you. The most difficult is the 2.5 mile Buzzards Roost Trail. Geocache your way along winding trails to find containers with details of past cachers and log your own trip. Take a guided ATV tour of Primland that has you bouncing through the trees. Bump along the terrain on two wheels on a mountain bike. Take a tour of the twinkling heavens on a starwalk with a local astronomer. Pick-up free tennis balls and racquets and take to the two on-site tennis courts. Forget the puny trees of your youth and scale massive trunks and branches with a Blue Ridge Tree Climbing guide (US$100 for three hours). Outside Primland, sample the local flavour on a tour of Château Morissette Winery. Try the Parkway Chardonnay, Star Dog sparkling wine or the blackberry wine (+1 540 593 2865; www.thedogs.com). Taking its name from the cross-shaped stones found here, Fairy Stone State Park – about an hour from Primland – is perfect for picnics and pond swimming.

The sweet and smoky barbecue sauce is made from scratch at Two by Two BBQ, about seven miles from the lodge (+1 276 952 2277; www.twobytwobbq.com). Try the country ham and biscuits with moonshine honey butter at historic Mabry Mill Restaurant in the eponymous settlement, about 15 minutes from Primland at Milepost 171.5 (+1 276 952 2947; mabrymillrestaurant.com). After a tour, stay for dinner at Château Morrisette Winery off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Floyd County, between Mileposts 171 and 172, 30 minutes from the hotel (+1 540 593 2865; www.thedogs.com).

As you make your way from Charlotte Airport to Primland, stop off in Mount Airy, North Carolina, about an hour away, to get a Barney Burger and milkshake at Barney’s Café, named after the bumbling sheriff of the Seventies sitcom The Andy Griffith Show. Griffith grew up in this sleepy town (+1 336 786 8305).

October Celebrate the changing foliage at the Autumn Leaves Festival in Mount Airy with bluegrass bands, crafts from local artists and soul food such as freshly baked cornbread, burgers and barbecue (www.autumnleavesfestival.com). July Camp out at the Wayside Bluegrass Festival in nearby Stuart and enjoy the jangly genre on its home turf. (www.waysidepark.com). Look for Milepost 170.5 off the Blue Ridge Parkway to find Floyd Fest, a four-day celebration of art and music featuring more than 50 performers, yoga workshops and plenty of kids’ activities (www.floydfest.com). August If you like pageants, pies and crafts, head to the State Peach Festival in Stuart, Virginia.