On 4,000 bucolic acres of farmland, fields, streams, and forests in Cairngorms National Park in the Highlands of Scotland sits the circa-1800 farmhouse and cottages that make up the Killiehuntly estate. First built as a working farm, it later served as a private residence until 2011, when after the death of its last owner, the compound was sold to Anne Storm Pedersen and her husband, Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen (who, according to The Independent, has been busy “collecting Scottish estates” over the past decade, making him one of the largest private landowners in Scotland).
After a dutiful restoration overseen by Pedersen, Killiehuntly is now a luxury vacation lodging surrounded by nature so beautiful that guests may find themselves “rediscovering the meaning of life,” says Pedersen. To make the farmhouse habitable, the owner commissioned architect Nicholas Groves-Raines, a specialist in refurbishing old buildings, to retain the farm building’s original layout while bringing it up to date. For the interiors, the owner envisioned a marriage between masculine Scottish decor and the more refined sensibilities of her native Denmark—an approach she dubbed “Scandi-Scot.” She paired Danish design staples (think Hans Wegner chairs) with built-ins and finishes designed by local craftspeople. The result, she thinks, is “a place of beauty; a subtle but powerful contrast to the raw Scottish nature surrounding us.”
Photography by Martin Kaufmann, courtesy of Killiehuntly.
Pedersen used gray and white linen drapes to cover the house’s traditional sash windows, and had each room painted in moody grays, blues, and browns from UK paint purveyor Farrow & Ball.
Killiehuntly Farmhouse and Cottages offers fours guest rooms, plus a cottage, a hayloft, and a “bothy” for rent.
The prior owner was the enigmatic Mrs. Sandison, whom Pederson calls “a woman with style and a fantastic creativity.” When Sandison died, Pederson used many of her belongings as decorative objects throughout the house.
Investors in the property include Ruth Kramer and Thomas Schacht, who own Brücke 49 hotel in the Swiss Alps (see our story, A Swiss Chalet Reborn, with Rooms to Rent).
A stay in the farmhouse includes full board, meaning breakfast, a packed lunch to tote along during daytime adventures, afternoon tea (naturally), and a three-course, seated farmhouse dinner.
Pedersen transformed the property from a traditional farm into “a place for like-minded people who love design, nature, and solitude.”
During your stay, the hotel can arrange for nature-based activities such as hiking, fishing, hunting, and mountain biking.
For more in Scotland, see:
- House Call: A Ceramic Artist’s Enviable Life on the Scottish Coast
- Hotels & Lodging: Jura Lodge in Scotland
- Shopper’s Diary: Sparrow & Co. in Glasgow
N.B.: This post is an update; the original story ran on January 8, 2018.
Have a Question or Comment About This Post?
Join the conversation