England 1997

The full moon that night lit the countryside as the train sped through England into Scotland. We made a stop in Edinburgh to change engineers during the night, and I noticed a large castle atop a steep cliff overlooking the train station.

We arrived in Inverness the next morning after breakfast was served in our cabins. After unloading our luggage onto the cold train platform, two gentlemen from Skibo Castle gathered us up and loaded our items into the van for the 45 minute drive north… yes, further north!

We were heading for Skibo Castle, the Scottish home of the steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. The castle is now part of the Carnegie Club and was absolutely amazing! Their web site describes the club and more of the castle’s history. Go read about it… it’s fascinating!

Well, once we cross over a couple of firths (a Scottish term for an inlet river that empties into the sea), we turn off of the highway that had run along the North Sea (yes, we were that far north!) onto a small, side road. We drove through a small village and made a turn past an obvious gatehouse onto a long and winding single lane road through the towering pine trees.

As we looked ahead, a large structure could be seen through the trees. It was, indeed, a castle! We were fortunate enough to have the entire castle (and staff!!) to ourselves for the duration, as a corporate booking had fallen through at the last moment! Lucky us!!

This place is enormous! Our bags are unloaded and taken up to our rooms as we sign the guest books in the reception hall.

Two separate fireplaces keep this entryway warm and cozy, as we can see several other parlors, two hallways, and a massive staircase leading out. We are led up the staircase, complete with a 12 foot tall (at least) pine Christmas tree at the intermediate landing.

The bedroom is probably bigger than some apartments I’ve had!!! The ceilings are all at least 12 feet, except for the bathroom which is only a mere 10 feet! All of the wood is hand-carved and gorgeous! There is a huge fireplace in the room and a large armoire to boot! The sitting area is in front of a large bay window overlooking a small waterfall and “The Monk’s Path” walkway.

The Edwardses knock on the door and are just as impressed with the room as I am! I go to check out their rooms (they have two massive rooms adjoining, so that Mark can have his own private bedroom). Wow… what a place!

We grab our coats (yes… it’s cold outside!) and head out for a walk about the grounds. John leads the way, as he’s the most familiar with Skibo. We step outside and, again, are impressed with the Skibo front view.

As we walk around the side of the castle, the smell of the Scottish pines washes over us. This smells like Christmas!

Skibo has its own greenhouse, for maintaining the variety of “non-native” plants and flowers that permeate the area. As we continue our walk, we arrive at the poolhouse and spa.

Mr. Carnegie built a heated, covered, Olympic-sized pool with adjoining changing rooms and a full-service spa facility. We decide that a swim later is in order! For now, though, we press on…

Walking around the back of the poolhouse, we discover a beautiful still pond with a scenic stone bridge across the way. The water is perfectly clear and still… Good thing I always have my camera with me!!!

Our long walk through the woods and grounds of the Skibo estate leads us eventually past the caretaker’s cottage (now used as a visitor lodge), a “salmon ladder” (where we think we saw a seal at the bottom!), to the golf clubhouse. Since we’re all chilled and a bit tired, we stop for a warming drink.

The Carnegie Golf Club is world-famous and has hosted famous players from professionals like Jack Nicklaus to celebrities such as Sean Connery. Since it is now later in the afternoon, a car is dispatched for us and we head back to the castle for lunch. It was my first exposure to a wonderfully delicious potato and leek soup. Yummy!

After lunch, we gather our “swimming costumes” (I wanted to be “Batman”, but no one got my joke…) and drove over to the heated poolhouse. After an invigorating swim, it was back to the castle to prepare for a formal Scottish dinner.

We met in the parlor for a pre-dinner drink. Marianne was lovely in her “bingo dress” (ask me if you want to know). Mark was dashing in his outfit, and I had my tuxedo ready for the evening. It was John, however, that made the most impressive entrance.

Since John is a formal member of the Carnegie Club, he is allowed to wear the tartan plaid of the group. However, since he was not a Scottish Highlander, he could not wear a kilt (not that this was a bad thing… ).

So, the official formal non-kilt dress with the tartan plaid is called “regulars”, and consist of the plaid pants, a tuxedo/tails jacket with the plaid on the lapel, and the plaid in the cummerbund and bow tie. Very stylish…

A bagpiper at the door of the parlor led us, while playing (!), through the castle to the formal dining room.

Dinner was, indeed, a grand experience.

The appetizer was a big surprise for me, as it was black pudding and (are you ready for this?) pigeon! The pigeon was very tasty, and the black pudding was an interesting taste, in and of itself. It wasn’t until after I had finished the appetizer, that anyone would tell me what the ingredients were!

The main course was rack of lamb, and was stunning!!

Our Skibo host, Beverly, and our main butler, Oliver, provided us with great stories and wonderful food!

Afterwards, we had a couple games of snooker! John and Mark had to teach Roger the rules. It’s a fun game, but harder than “standard” pool!

It was well after midnight when we retired to our rooms, content that we had spent every minute living as the Carnegies had!