bespoke furniture + joinery
Aldourie Castle
Scotland
Sitting proudly on the banks of Loch Ness, Aldourie Castle represents a singular commitment to craft and excellence. Having operated as a hospitality venue for some time, the castle was acquired by Wildland in the 2010s with vision to restore this place to splendour, while carefully reinterpreting what a 21st Century castle experience looks and feels like. The ensuing restoration would result in an estate which sits in harmony with its surroundings, with a deep respect for built heritage sitting alongside forward-looking bespoke design.
We were delighted to play our part in bringing Wildland’s vision for Aldourie Castle Estate to life. Working in close collaboration with Wildland, we were tasked with created a suite of bespoke loose and fitted furniture suited to the multiple functions of the castle’s steading venue and boathouse.
The result is a highly unified design language which sits alongside (but proud of) the main castle – allowing the venue to operate at scale without compromising exceedingly high standards of craftsmanship.
Our core brief was to create pieces of furniture that reflected a feeling of reinterpreted vernacular, while also honouring a strong tradition of Danish craft evident throughout the estate. Our furniture and built-ins have to maximise the tactility of their natural materials – such as soaped European oak and Jura grey limestone – by letting their forms and feelings do the talking.
Simple shapes, clean cuts, and seamless construction were the watchwords of this brief. While the forms veer towards the traditional, the pieces have all been created with modern comfort in mind. Details such as hidden veneered switches in the built-in cabinetry allow for uninterrupted enjoyment of the space without compromising on the operation of the venue.
"It’s very much anchored in the classical Scottish country house, but with an influence of Danish heritage."
A key challenge was ensuring that each room within the Steadings, along with its furniture, served a unique purpose while maintaining a consistent design language. In this regard, we could not have hoped for a better collaboration with our client. Cleanly constructed oak, stonewashed linens, and subtle brass detailing where needed all come together to create a cohesive and warm feeling.
"We have brought in many layers that elevate and embellish the guest experience at Aldourie."
– Wildland
Within the castle steading, this brief resulted in a set of large oak tables, two built-in bars, a suite of other built-in cabinetry, and custom built-in sofas with pleasing hidden details. We also collaborated with Wildland to create two large kitchens – one for guests to enjoy at their leisure in a quite in-frame shaker style, the other for the castle team to use to cater large events (without compromising on design detail).
We also create a range of bespoke benches placed throughout the steading, allowing the design language established in the dining and tasting rooms to carry on through the building.
Adjacent to the castle, sitting proudly on Loch Ness, the Aldourie boat house is a second venue with multiple uses. From long, lazy lunches to quiet yoga practices, the boat house needed a very particular set of furniture that could be deployed in a much smaller space, without compromising the design language throughout the rest of the estate. Working with Wildland, we created a collection of oak folding chairs and matching tables. These have a smaller footprint than our creations in the steading, but echo their tactility and celebration of material.
In all, our work for Wildland at Aldourie is intended to provide their team with the wright canvass for memorable moments, where spaces can evolve over time and deliver on their laudable ambitions.
"We wanted to make it somewhere you could wake up in the morning, and you'd say, what should we go and look at today?"
– Wildland
CLIENT
WILDLAND LIMITED
ARCHITECT
Ptolemy Dean Architects
CRAFTSMANSHIP
LAURENCE MCINTOSH
CONTRACTOR
KISHORN
IMAGES
ALEXANDER BAXTER
STUDIO:
-
10 King's Haugh
Edinburgh, EH16 5UY
EMAIL AND TELEPHONE:
- [email protected]
- +44 (0) 131 6528100
