Aldourie Castle

Privacy, 400-year-old baronial history, Loch Ness, the Caledonian Forests, the Highlands, turrets, church-like dormers, oriel windows, crenelated towers and 500 acres (200 hectares) of natural woodlands and landscaping are a few of the headliner pointers that make the restored Aldourie Castle arguably one of the most beautiful, historic private-hire castles in Scotland, just six miles southwest of Inverness.

With parts of the original laird’s house dating back to 1626, it was in the 1860s during the era of Queen Victoria’s love affair with Scotland (she bought Balmoral in 1852) that saw further Gothic embellishments of Aldourie Castle by then owner, William Fraser-Tytler. Wanting to extend the house, he commissioned notable Scottish architect Alexander Ross and Aberdeen architects Mackenzie & Matthews. Today, Aldourie’s calling card silhouette of distinctive apricot clay is impressively gorgeous – an expression of palatial presence between the rising glen leading onto Drumashie Moor, cloaking the house's rear, and the doorstep southern shoreline of Loch Ness. Aldourie Castle is available only as an exclusive hire which makes it more alluring for a Highland’s escapade.

Present-day owners and custodians Anne & Anders Holch Povlsen (orchestrators of Wildland – Scotland’s 200-year rewilding and conservation plan) cultivated the restoration of Aldourie, engaging British architect Ptolemy Dean, landscape designer Tom Stuart-Smith (a favourite with the royals) and Charlotte Freemantle and Will Fisher, owners of the London-based antique emporium Jamb to furnish the house. Anne wanted to narrate a script that reflected the castle’s place in history and to create a home that would be more comfortably elegant rather than stuffy fairytale tartan. Aldourie is crafted in detail, bathed in aestheticism and sustainably updated, including biomass energy, which burns wood pellets from a local source and powers a district heating system across the estate.  The epitome of an authentic Scottish estate, Aldourie is pleasingly updated for the coming centuries ahead.

Tom Stuart-Smith was responsible for revitalising the gardens, originally designed by Scottish landscape architect Thomas H. Mawson. Taking a structured yet naturalistic approach to the landscaping, Tom re-designed the gardens into a meandering spectacle of experiences, each viewpoint as theatrical as the castle. Wildflower meadows, the classical Victorian walled vegetable and fruit gardens, the glasshouse for tropical infusions and citrus trees. A team of gardeners manicure the immaculate lawns, prune the trees and shrubs and ensure that there is a focal point throughout the year in the estate gardens that lead to the shoreline of Loch Ness. 

Velvets, William Morris and Chinois

Anne’s love of originality and articulation of design is a palpable presence felt throughout Aldourie – it is a lightness that keeps formality at ease despite the scale of the house. Charlotte Freemantle and Will Fisher of Jamb joined forces with designer Henry Bickerton to creatively interfere with Aldourie Castle’s interiors.

The Great Hall complete with the crest of 17th-century French philosopher Michel de Montaigne is emblazoned with the motto Que sçay-je?, and the billiards room, library, dining room and 12 Suites own the staples of grandeur; the home being aptly populated with a familiar country-estate adoption of antiques, oriental rugs, oil paintings of lost relatives, Greek-esque sculptures, Victoriana velvets and fringed lighting. Elsewhere, arabescato marble, celadon silk faille by Claremont, furnishings from the George II reign, Regency periods to early 20^th-century pieces create an à la mode country estate.

Rent the Castle

An established private-hire venue within closed cirlces, you book the whole castle taking all 12 rooms. Aldourie Castle comes fully staffed as one would expect of a house of this calibre. The 12 suites are a picture book of gorgeously random styles that thread history with soft touches – each room is unique and court wallpapers such as Braquenié’s ‘Le Paravent Chinois’ and Scottish love heart William Morris. Edward Bulmer’s Jonquil, the colour of setting plaster and Farrow & Ball paints beautifully knit history together without it being too serious. Modern additions of plain white sofas and carpets by Zielgler ease the mood and bathroom gurus Drummonds lend their signature bathtub grandeur.

Within the estate, a further four private-hire cottages with a total of 12 bedrooms can be booked with the castle to accommodate additional guests. Scattered throughout the grounds, the interiors are very much in the camp of designer Ruth Kramer and, as such, carry both Anne and Ruth’s familiar Danish accents decked in soft, muted tones that borrow from the surroundings and Scottish heritage.

Highland Games, "I Do" and Premiers

Fabulous food, warm hospitality, and a knowing of what you need during your stay at Aldourie Castle follow the bespoke narrative of Wildland’s signature service, from chefs, housekeeping and gamekeepers to the logistics crew who organise transfers to activities and events - a sort of full-service concierge that you would expect of a private estate. Everything is sourced according to your needs and is intensely local.

Host your own Highland games, get married in cinematic beauty, find that incognito escapism away from prying eyes, showcase the latest brand launch or simply gather the family clan.

Another bow within the estate is The Steadings – a custom-created event space set within the original stone canvas skirted by a large courtyard. Separated from the main house, The Steadings was restored by architect Ptolemy Dean and Wildland’s inhouse building and conservation team. Designer Ruth Kramer tapped into the history of the buildings, letting the raw structure write its own distinctive interior story. Complete with its own whisky snug, country-style kitchens by Edinburgh-based Laurence McIntosh, architectural joinery and large characterful event spaces that bring a hint of Nordic modernity to Scottish history.

Wild Swimming with Nessie

Through the windows of Aldourie, Loch Ness and the surrounding beauty of the Highlands is ever present, a wild landscape that wraps around the private estate of more than 500 acres. The castle comes with its own Loch Ness access and the ornate boathouse is carved in the shape of a boat’s hull. Wild swimming, hit the mountains or host your own ‘Highland Games’, gather a party or take in the beauty of Scotland – this is indeed life at the castle.

Stacked with over 400 years of history, the restored castle comes without aristo pretence and a stuffy ambience –instead, it is a place of calm wrapped in the beauty of the Scottish Highlands.