A Speyside castle is ready to open its doors following a massive refurbishment to transform it into the perfect home for the whisky connoisseur.
Baronial mansion Rothes Glen was built as a private home in the 1890s and has been used as a private home and as a hotel until the 1990s.
Now a new chapter for the grand building is poised to begin as it is ready to welcome whisky aficionados.
Refurbishment aims to boost Moray’s tourism offering
Rothes Glen Limited purchased the private-use castle in 2019 with the hope of revitalising the building for a new generation.
The grand mansion was built Charles Chree Doig, who is most famous for inventing the iconic pagodas seen on distillery roofs.
During the 18-month renovation the historic building has been re-wired, re-plumed and redecorated with authentic furnishings secured for the 15-bedroom property.
The building’s 10 suites will soon be open for exclusive group hire between Elgin and Rothes.
Damian Riley-Smith, chief executive of Rothes Glen, said: “Speyside is the largest whisky producing region in Scotland, so establishing a dedicated home for whisky enthusiasts in this iconic location made perfect sense.
“With 44 distilleries within 30 minutes and 59 within a one-hour drive, we are ideally located to welcome a global audience who look to experience the finest facilities, food and outdoor experiences that Speyside has to offer.
“We have designed the home with everything a whisky enthusiast could possibly look for, including a tasting room, a whisky vault, whisky cabinets, a whisky library and most importantly, a great range of whisky.”
Funding packages helped project
Visitors to Rothes Glen will be provided with a personal chef and tour guide included in the costs of their stay.
The opening is expected to create up to 10 permanent jobs with local tradesmen employed throughout the refurbishment project.
Funding was secured for the transformation through a £550,000 funding package from Royal Bank of Scotland with a £100,000 package also secured from Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Leigh Cathcart, senior relationship manager at RBS, said: “With his enthusiasm and experience across the Scotch whisky industry, Damian has created a world-class destination that I’m confident will go on to enjoy great success.
“Royal Bank of Scotland has been delighted to support RGL (Rothes Glen Limited) on this journey, and we wish the team good luck now that the rest of the world can now enjoy the treasures inside Rothes Glen.”