Estate Life

Why the Russians loved Duntreath Castle

Joanna Goddard — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:58:23 +0000

Duntreath Castle has a wonderful warm welcome with stunning gardens and recently provided the perfect location for a Russian Incentive Group of Doctors.

Duntreath is the ancestral home in unbroken succession of the Edmonstone family, who were granted the lands by King Robert III in 1435 as a wedding gift for his grand-daughter. The authentic heritage experience of this property was the initial draw for this group. The company who made the booking have used Estate Life before and like the fact that we have first hand knowledge of the property to allow them to discuss suitability before deciding to book.

The original 15^th century keep remains relatively untouched but the 19^th century residential wing has been modernised and decorated to the highest standards for luxury travellers. The warm welcoming atmosphere is particularly commented on by all visitors. It makes for an ideal location for lunches and dinners following a drinks reception and tour of the Castle or simply enjoying the wonderful gardens and quite simply stunning scenery.

On this occasion, upon arrival the group were met by a Scots Piper, before being led up to the Dining Room and Library for a canapé and drinks reception. The Owners welcomed the group with wonderful tales of the history of Duntreath Castle and fascinating insights to life as custodians of a slice of Scottish heritage.

Guests were then invited to a rare and privileged opportunity to explore freely around this ancient castle which remains a private home.

In the stunning grounds on this lovely sunny evening, the guests where then thrilled by a dramatic Falconry display before being piped into the ancient Keep for a wonderful Scottish evening with fine cuisine, sumptuous wines, Scottish music and authentic dancers who entertained the guests into the wee small hours.

A wonderful evening was had by all. Guests departed reluctantly and left words of high praise for a truly unique experience.

It’s no wonder the Russians enjoyed Duntreath Castle, and by the sounds of things they will be back!

Lynda Bellingham to bring us Country House Sunday secrets

Joanna Goddard — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:35:38 +0000

Country House Sunday will see Lynda Bellingham take a tour around some of Britain’s most beautiful stately homes.

Lynda and her team will explore the very best that the house and estate have to offer, unpicking their rich history, revealing their secrets and uncovering life both upstairs and downstairs from cooking in the kitchens to tending the grounds.

Across the series, Lynda will visit Renishaw Hall in Derbyshire, home to the Sitwell family for nearly 400 years; magnificent Ragley Hall in Warwickshire, one of England’s finest Palladium mansions and family home of the ninth Marquess and Marchioness of Hertford and their four children; and Ugbrooke House in Devon, which has been in the Clifford family since 1604.

Food Reporters Ed Baines, Stacie Stewart and Claire Richards will explore some of Britain’s best foods throughout the three regions.

Larry Lamb will present a strand of heritage walks, exploring the worlds of Bronte, Shakespeare & Agatha Christie.

Antique experts, Tom Keane and Paul Hayes, will explore some interesting and quirky treasures within the house and surrounding area.

Plus Top Chefs James Tanner and Paul Ainsworth will join Lynda throughout the series to cook up Sunday feasts in the beautiful country house working kitchens.

Episode 1 starts Sunday 21 April on ITV

Scottish sporting estates bucking recession

Joanna Goddard — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:19:16 +0000

By Susan Reid

The Scotsman recently reported that the Scottish sporting industry, reported to be worth £275 million to the Scottish economy, is bucking the recession and is looking forward to a profitable season.

This is reflected in our ongoing enquiries for authentic country estate experiences throughout the UK, with Scottish estate bookings particularly popular for hunting, shooting, fishing and stalking.

Estate owners have been working closely with me to develop pricing structures and experience packages to ensure they remain competitive in the market. This is an area of expertise we offer clients to ensure they pitch their proposition appropriately to their target market.

We heard from Gordon Castle recently that their fishing season had kicked off well and this has been familiar news amongst similar estates.

CKD Galbraith also reported “Grouse numbers have been generally very encouraging over the last three years with 2011 being one of the best years in recent history.”

Knowing your marketing is a critical part of effective business planning for estates. Understanding future economic, political and social forecasts as well as emerging technological trends leads to successful business planning for business projects which focus on country sports.

Be sure to make a strategic plan for your estate to maximise your business potential from country pursuits.

Could your phone mast be an untapped goldmine?

Joanna Goddard — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 06:41:53 +0000

Andrew Smith, renewables specialist, guest blogs for us on a potential untapped goldmine for landowners;

I have recently been working with clients who have a phone mast site on their land and who have been thinking carefully about the possibility of alternative uses for the site.

With the consolidation that is taking place in the mobile communications industry, and the reduced need for phone masts, many landowners are now exploring how this might affect their businesses. Whilst it can prove tempting to agree to a deal for alternative revenue generation from your mast site, especially when the ‘untapped goldmine’ carrot is dangled – it is important that you weigh up the potential benefits with the impact that this may have on other business, tax and legal interests.

It’s also important to think carefully about the possibility of alternative uses for such a site – including a wind turbine.

There are a range of providers who specialise in the conversion of former telephone mast sites to turbine sites; and, as with all things, you would be best advised to get one of these specialist businesses involved – they know of the challenges and pitfalls, and can quickly give you an assessment of your site and the revenues that you can expect, if it is suitable for turbine development. From there you can weigh up the overall financial impact this would have on your combined business interests.

It is worth getting in touch – I can recommend a number of approved specialists in this field – to have your site reviewed – it will cost nothing and could restore an income stream you thought was lost.

Innovative solutions to boost business at Bowhill

Joanna Goddard — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 11:18:53 +0000

Bowhill House Estate has introduced a new annual pass scheme to make the House, Country Estate and gardens even more accessible to visitors.

Under the new scheme visitors will be able to purchase a season pass to the estate for a one-off entry fee, providing maximum value for money for both local visitors and tourists. The new pass is just one of a host of exciting changes and additions Bowhill is planning for the 2013 season

New to Bowhill will also be the introduction of a children’s soft play area, which will be ready for the Estate opening on 29th March.

If you would like to discuss new ways to boost visitor business on your estate contact susan@estate-life.com

Estate Life exclusive venue open day & special offer

Joanna Goddard — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 20:43:33 +0000

Open day Sunday 17 March 12.00pm – 4.30pm

** Book at our open day and save up to £1000 off exclusive use **

Spacious and luxurious Balmule House is the perfect venue for impressive and unforgettable corporate events, Wedding Ceremonies and Civil Partnerships.

The landscaped gardens and grounds provide a truly picturesque setting, in complete privacy.

At Balmule House, the team work with you to tailor your event to meet your exact needs.

Dining for up to 50 guests
Receptions up to 100 guests
Wedding and civil ceremonies for 40 guests
Accommodation for 16 guests
Set in 30 acres of garden and woodland
Easy access to Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Perth

Pop along to the Open Day to experience this lovely property first hand.

Alternatively, to find out more about Balmule House contact Susan Reid to discuss on 0131 556 4020 or susan@estate-life.com

If you are a member of the PA Exchange quote paexchange for special rates.

Castle heating bill reduced by 22,686 litres a year!

Joanna Goddard — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 13:11:08 +0000

The new boiler house at Kincardine Castle

Prior to March 2012 the annual heating oil consumption at Kincardine Castle was 23,000 litres per annum – owner Andrew Bradford tells us “and even then the building was not particularly warm, to say the least. Needless to say the cost of fuel was scary and we felt we had to do something or we and the building were going to freeze and so we started to think of alternatives. “

Biomass (wood chips) turned out to be the chosen solution – handy as Kincardine Castle estate grows a lot of timber and the market price for the low-grade material is not high.

So started the planning stage. A new boiler house had to be built – architect, Planning Permission, Listed Building Consent and Building Warrant all took a while to obtain. The installation of the equipment was by Highland Wood Energy and they co-ordinated the project with local builder Gordon Mitchell. Andrew Bradford was responsible for the design of the sliding roof for the fuel bunker which was made by Kincardine Estate staff.

The construction work started in August 2011 and the installation was completed before Christmas. Then followed a period of commissioning and Kincardine Castle was accepted for the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) in March 2012.

While there have been a few minor glitches and learning curves to climb since then, the system has, in the main, worked flawlessly.

Now a year of operation has passed and we are happy to report that Kincardine Castle has burned just 314 litres of oil in that period. The cost of the wood chips is about half that of the oil and so considerable savings have ensued together with the welcome payments of RHI.

Most exciting of all is the fact that Kincardine Castle is now very warm. Mr Bradford also reports “we’ve been able to add radiators to parts of the castle that never before had them and this has eliminated several cold spots within the building. Interestingly the heat consumed by the new system is actually less than was produced by the oil previously – which indicates that our oil boiler wasn’t nearly as efficient as we thought. “

Kincardine Castle

So the outcome is a WIN, WIN, WIN. Kincardine Castle is;

burning less fuel than before
getting more heat than before
saving a great deal of money

and the fossil fuel consumption is greatly reduced – 58 tons of CO2 emissions from fossil fuels saved in a year!

Certificate of excellence again & listed one of best in country

Joanna Goddard — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 09:43:19 +0000

Comte & Comtesse de Vanssay (she Anglo-American, he 20th generation at his family chateau)

We are pleased to announce that Estate Life Network member, Chateau de la Barre, in the Loire Valley, France, has been awarded by Tripadvisor as one of the 25 best small hotels in France, as well as the certificate of excellence 2013 for a successive year.

Owner, Comtesse de Vanssay commented “Quite an achievement for a private estate, maintained in the same family, unbroken lineage, for more than 600 years, if we do say so ourselves!”

This reflects the continued commitment to development and service standards of the highest level at the Chateau. Remaining responsive to industry trends and emerging demands from luxury travellers and business clients has kept this stunning property at the fore of the industry.

If you would like to know more about hiring Chateau de le Barre or how to develop your revenue from your estate, contact susan@estate-life.com to discuss in confidence.

A taste of what’s to come

Joanna Goddard — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 20:40:42 +0000

Kincardine Kitchen, an outstanding business developed at Kincardine Castle, makes and supplies delicious home-bakes, jams and preserves to local shops and the products are available by mail order for clients further afield.

Kincardine Kitchen was started in 2008 and sells an expanding range of delicious foods including:

All butter shortbread, Speciality shortbreads, Chocolate brownies, Pecan cookies, Speciality cookies, Chocolate cake, Biscotti, Raspberry Jam, Orange Marmalade, Onion Marmalade and a variety of chutneys. Taste buds tingling? order some today.

Or consider a gift hamper for your clients pre stay to give them a taste of what’s to come!

If you would like more information about corporate experiences at Kincardine Castle contact us.

Go to the movies in a castle

Joanna Goddard — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 08:57:45 +0000

2013 sees the launch of the Augill Castle Cinema Club.

Enjoy a two course supper in the castle dining room with a glass of wine, then relax in the vintage 12 seater cinema with popcorn and snacks for a film.

Perfect for launching corporate videos, product launches, media events, screening of wedding videos, or family special event videos.

Film ,supper, glass of wine, snacks from £20 per person. To book for private or corporate group events contact us.