The ancestral home of three airmen brothers, who perished during the Second World War, will finally open its doors to the public today, following a £5million renovation which began in December 2014.
The MacRobert Trust’s Douneside House, near Tarland, has undergone a massive refurbishment to turn the sprawling estate into a hotel, leisure club, wedding venue and conference centre.
The building is the home of the MacRoberts, who suffered grievously when brothers, Alastair, Roderic and Iain were killed in air accidents within three years of one another.
Following their deaths, their mother Lady Rachel MacRobert set up a trust for the armed forces, which has so far donated millions to charitable organisations.
Douneside House was used as a private country retreat for serving or retired armed forces officers and their families.
But, as numbers began to dwindle in recent years, the trustees decided to allow members of the public to stay for the first time.
However, the house will remain exclusively for military guests in the last two weeks of July, throughout August and the week of Christmas.
The newly-opened leisure centre will be open to the public throughout the year.
The MacRobert Trust’s chief executive, Rear Admiral Chris Hockley, said: “Opening Douneside’s doors to the public marks a significant turning point in our history.
“We hope this change will ultimately allow the trust to increase its charitable giving.
“The transformation has been significant, but I’m delighted that we have maintained the character and charm of what was the MacRobert family home.
Speaking of his excitement for today’s opening, general manager, Marcel Wassen, said it was a delight to see the project come together after a lot of hard work.
The 38-year-old added: “I’m thrilled to finally be able to open our doors to the general public and all our guests. It has been a lot of hard work, but I know that the whole team is now thoroughly looking forward to serving our guests again.”
The hotel will provide a range of eating facilities including a bistro, bar and restaurant.
Head chef, David Butters, said: “We’ll be offering a range of menus from fine dining to afternoon tea to provide something for everyone’s taste buds.
“We’re also very focused on using fresh and local produce, so we will be using suppliers such as HM Sheridans and Blue Flag fish straight from Peterhead every morning as well as fresh fruit and vegetables.”
The main house will consist of 13 rooms, with 31 rooms available in total including the cottages and apartments.
