The Ultimate Highland Castle House Party
Join us at Aldourie Castle on the banks of Loch Ness for a unique house party weekend this October! The castle has been beautifully restored over the past five years, creating impressive comfort and style in a breathtaking and tranquil setting.
One recent guest commented "... there is good, better and best ... and then there is Aldourie!"
Your majestic home for the weekend is just one part of the story, since during your stay you will enjoy private visits to five more outstanding Highland castles ...
- Cross the loch and visit the ruin of Urquhart Castle, once the finest fortress in the Highlands.
- A private tour of Cawdor, 14th century stronghold of the Thanes of Cawdor, now home to the Dowager Countess Cawdor.
- A private tour of Brodie, seat of the Brodies of Brodie, packed with art and antiques.
- A private tour of Dunrobin, the majestic château of the Earls of Sutherland.
- A tour of Castle Leod, seat of Clan Mackenzie, by its owner, Lord Cromartie.
A heady diet of wonderful castles!
But if one tour of a highland castle is enough for you (or for your travelling companion!), do not fret: there are options for golf (on the best courses in the Highlands) and for shopping (at Johnstons Cashmere, for example).
And if there is anywhere else (within reason!) in the Highlands that you yearn to visit, we will arrange a private tour for you. If you would like to spend half a day walking in the hills above Loch Ness, we can arrange that too.
Then again, you may prefer to visit nothing more than the deep luxury of Aldourie Castle, your home for the weekend. There is no compulsion to do anything!
Aldourie Castle Drawing Room
The programme for the weekend is as follows.
Friday 14 October
11:00 Doors open at Aldourie Castle
12:00 Tour of the castle
12:30 Welcoming champagne and introductions
13:00 Buffet Lunch
14:30 Boat trip to visit Urquhart Castle on Loch Ness
Option instead to play golf at nearby Castle Stuart links
(2011 home of the Scottish Open)
16:30 Afternoon tea
19:30 Pre-dinner drinks
20:00 Three course dinner with a Highland theme
21:30 Short introductory talk on Highland Castles by Alastair Cunningham, Managing Director, Scottish
Clans and Castles Ltd.
Dunrobin Castle
Saturday 15 October
09:30 Depart for Castle Leod
10:00 Pause in Beauly to visit the town or walk round the ruined 13th century priory
11:00 Private tour of Castle Leod by Lord Cromartie
12:45 Lunch at the Strathpeffer Pavilion
14:45 Private tour of Dunrobin Castle
Option instead to play golf at Royal Dornoch or visit Dornoch shops and cathedral
16:00 Depart Dunrobin for Aldourie, collecting Dornoch party en route
17:00 Afternoon tea
20:00 Barbecue meal on the terrace with mulled wine and chestnuts
21:30 Talk on Highland Dress and Customs by Hugh Allison, author of 'Culloden Tales'.
Sunday 16 October
10:00 Private tour Cawdor Castle, straight on to lunch at Brodie Castle
Option instead to have a lazy morning with the Sunday papers, perhaps a stroll down to the
shore of Loch Ness and go direct to Brodie Castle (depart 1200)
13:00 Everyone arrives Brodie Castle for lunch
14:00 Private Tour of Brodie Castle
Option instead to visit Johnstons Cashmere
1530 Depart Brodie for Aldourie
16:30 Afternoon tea
19:30 Black tie dinner with pipers.
Monday 17 October
Depart after breakfast.
Library at Aldourie Castle |
Dining Room at Aldourie Castle |
PRICE
The price for this unique weekend is £1,500 per person.
NOTES
- All meals, pre-dinner drinks and wines with dinner are included.
- Lunches are fairly simple and quick, dinners are long and to be relished.
- Green fees are not included.
- The weekend will be hosted by Alastair Cunningham of Scottish Clans and Castles.
- The weekend is subject to a minimum of ten guests booking by 1 August.
- We ask for a deposit of GBP 250 per person; the balance is payable by 8 August.
ALDOURIE CASTLE
The Aldourie Castle web site is here.
A Country Life feature on the castle is here.
Please email us if you would like us to send you the brochure.
Aldourie Castle accommodates 26 guests in 13 double or twin rooms.
Bedrooms will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
NOW WHAT?
If you would like to know, more about the Ultimate Highland Castle House Party please contact Helen Jenkins at Scottish Clans and Castles. Email helen@clansandcastles.com. Tel: 01667 456942.
OR, if you would like to go ahead and book a place, you can make your deposit of GBP 250 per person here.
Loch Ness with Aldourie Castle, your home for the weekend, in the bottom left hand corner
PS. If this weekend does not suit you and you would like to take Aldourie Castle on an exclusive basis at any other time, do please ask us about availability and prices.
