Old Castle Restoration to Exotic Country House Design

perfect material for staircase

Very few people actually buy castles, but this magnificent sixteenth-century colossus on the edge of the Firth of Moray in Scotland was found and restored by a man who, since childhood, had dreamed of owning and restoring such a place.

Although bought as a ruin, it was nonetheless a late medieval Z-plan tower. Armed with little money but plenty of knowledge and lots of enthusiasm, the owner began a seven-year restoration program.

It was a labour of love: eighty-six windows and doors were made by local craftsmen; the correct timber, slate and stone had to be found; and keen to avoid using any wrong materials, they mixed the lime and pigments for the exterior finish themselves.

Fortunately, the owners’ textile and carpet business manufactures designs with a Scottish history and pallet, and they were able to use a great many of their own products throughout the interior.

Some of the furniture was made at the castle and other pieces were inherited or bought locally. The walls are clad with their wooden plank or softly painted plaster, the windows are curtain less, but the beds and sofas are draped and warmed with hanging, blankets and woolen fabrics. An enormous challenge, this is a dream come true.

four storey classic bed furniture design