It’s like entering an enchanted world in the heart of Aberdeenshire.
The minute you turn into the drive of Lickleyhead Castle it’s as if whatever’s bothering you about modern life simply fades away.
Encircled by huge mature trees, the castle sits in two acres of grounds which immediately invite exploration.
The building is L-plan, with a tall, corbelled tower comprising the west wing, and a later two-storey east wing.
A stone above the castle entrance is engraved 1629, but the castle wears its many centuries lightly.
There is a blush of warmth about it, and this extends throughout the eight uniquely-styled bedrooms, six in the west wing and two in the east.
Somehow it doesn’t seem surprising that this was where Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie spent the first 10 years of her life.
Rose is the daughter of the Clan Leslie’s Aberdeenshire chieftain, Sebastian Arbuthnott-Leslie.
Lickleyhead Castle is the clan’s 15th Century ancestral seat, although the family no longer own it.
It’s now available in separate wings, or in its entirety, to guests looking for magic and romance.
Your experience will be self-catering, so be sure to bring essentials like tea, coffee, milk and whatever you need to get you settled in (fizz, wine, gin… I could go on but you know exactly what I mean.)
Our small party was placed in the east wing, which sleeps four, stretching to six by using a sofa bed in the lounge.
The west wing sleeps 12, and honestly I lost count of all the bathrooms in the place.
There’s a large dining kitchen, warmed by a massive Aga, in the west wing, while the east wing has a smaller kitchen but benefits from an elegant, wood-panelled dining room on the upper floor.
One end of table was set with china and silver, and looked so elegant I forbade the family from using it – to my shame, this turned out to be completely contrary to the relaxed spirit of Lickleyhead.
“You know nothing Jon Snow,” my daughter told me after we discovered it had been laid especially for us.
I slept in the mediaeval Bartholf Room, on the ground floor of the east wing, named after a Hungarian nobleman and founding member of the Clan Leslie.
I loved the tapestries, the gently flickering candles, and the huge bear skins on the bed. Real faux bear skins of course. Perfect for relaxing during a winter retreat.
My family were upstairs in the Duff Room, a Victorian-styled bedroom with a Balmoral feel, named after the Duff family who once lived in the castle.
Each of the castle’s eight bedrooms has a completely different look and feel – elegant, unique, quirky.
As the castle was bought by the Davies family in 2018, was it this way when they found it?
Absolutely not – and this is the hidden marvel behind the castle which only guests can truly appreciate.
The Davies family, Mark, Kath and son James, have lovingly restored Lickleyhead using the grease of their elbows and the sweat of their brows over the past three years to create this enchanting and romantic retreat.
Funded by Mark’s global offshore windfarm consultancy, fixed up by James and interior-designed by Kath, it’s a family labour of love.
Kath, who has Scottish roots, has no formal interior design background, but always wanted to do up a big historical building.
James, 10 years an English teacher in South Korea, wanted to bring his young family back to Scotland, and was invited to become part of the family’s new business in Aberdeenshire.
Almost overnight he learned skills he never knew he had – joinery, plumbing, electrics, tiling, decorating.
He got so good that when he spotted some old wooden doors lying about, he turned them into a magnificent boxbed for one of the rooms.
He put in all the beautiful modern bathrooms too, designing some to fit into the castle’s turret.
Yes, a trip into the past at Lickleyhead doesn’t mean you have to slum it with kranky bathrooms and cold water. Quite the reverse. All mod cons are present, including wi-fi of course.
Meanwhile Kath has let her imagination and prodigious flair soar in the exquisitely designed rooms, sourcing period furniture online and at auctions.
Her colour schemes, ranging from soft blues and duck egg to gold and burgundy, are a joy.
The rooms aren’t cluttered, with just enough styling for the particular period Kath is trying to capture, and yet practical with the needs of 21st Century guests in mind.
By its nature there are lots of narrow, steep stairs in the castle, something to bear in mind for guests with limited mobility.
The Davies see their castle as an ideal venue for weddings, even creating a small chapel in it, complete with stained glass windows put in by James.
They view 30 as an ideal number, with catering ordered in.
If none of your party is getting married, there is a plethora of things to do in this area if you can tear yourself away from the castle.
You can walk out of Lickleyhead’s grounds straight to the foothills of Bennachie, although this has been made more difficult after the treefall of last winter’s storms, so it’s more practical to drive to the Bennachie Visitor Centre and enjoy the trails laid out from there.
For activities at the centre, check social media or the Aberdeenshire Rangers page.
We also discovered the joys of Grampian Transport Museum in nearby Alford. Our small person took his junior driving test there, and had to be torn away from the place.
FACT FILE
Lickleyhead Castle, Premnay, Insch AB52 6PN
Telephone: 07418 085 748
Web: lickleyhead.com
email: enquiries@lickleyhead.com
Current Prices (2022) – three-night stay minimum
Whole Castle from £715 per night
West Wing from £536 per night
East Wing from £215 per night
Weddings (dry hire basis, i.e. venue only, not including catering, etc)
Maximum 30 people
Day hire £2,000
Discount on wedding if booking the whole castle for three nights
Complimentary
Guests at Lickleyhead Castle are eligible to play complimentary golf at Insch Golf Club. Only six guests can play at any one time. See the website for further details and conditions.
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