Live like a Laird

Scotland is the ideal destination if you want to enjoy a truly luxurious holiday. Kate Ennis went and sample the high life.

Few countries are better than Scotland when it comes to owning a country estate. Traditionally commanding the top land in the locality, lairds have always enjoyed the best of Scotland's breathtaking natural beauty, from mountains to forests and rocky rivers to cliff tops.

Their homes, as stunning as the landscape around them, were designed for extravagant living. Waking up to this kind of setting every morning, no wonder the role of a Scottish laird has long been so enviable.

The modern-day rich and famous have already succumbed to the allure of the lairdly lifestyle. Known advocates include Madonna, Mohammed Al Fayed and the Douglases, who have made Scottish country estates choice destinations for their own getaway retreat.

And, of course, such trips also have the royal seal of approval.

However, the closest many of the rest of us get to inside a laird's grand home may be a public tour, with only brief and tantalising glimpses behind red ropes and a trail of tourists. You cannot help but aspire to waking up in a four-poster bed, banqueting in the great hall and exploring the history of a building steeped in history at your leisure.

Just wishful thinking maybe? Well, sampling the Scottish high life in a castle or sporting lodge is most certainly realistic, even for those without such a healthy bank balance. In a country that excels in luxury rural retreats, a growing number of companies are specialising in exclusive rentals of grand estates for a tailor-made holiday exp...

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• By : Kate Ennis
• In : Holidays
• Issue : 11
• Page : 54
• Words : 1,415