Interiors: Corrievarkie Lodge on Loch Etive

Published on Sunday 21 March 2010 13:11

It's easy to take things for granted. Take roads, for example. The 11-mile private drive that leads to Corrievarkie didn't exist when the shooting lodge was built in the 1860s. Everything, from building materials to furnishings, had to be carried by pony or boat to this beautifully remote site on the eastern shore of Loch Ericht, Inverness-shire. Stone could have been sourced locally, but the transportation of lime mortar, slate and sawn timber would have been a major logistical underta

"It seems crofters in Rannoch used to make extra cash by carrying materials on their farm ponies," says Patrick Thompson, who manages the Loch Ericht Estate where Corrievarkie Lodge is located. In fact, the old pony path from Killichonan on the edge of Loch Rannoch is largely still in evidence.

Now reached rather more readily via that private Tarmac road (built in 1960 to provide access to a hydro-electric power station), the lodge has nevertheless refused to relinquish its sense of isolation from everyday life; even today there is no telephone landline to spoil the feeling of truly getting away from it all. As the road snakes across an untamed landscape of moors, mountains, rivers and lochs, Corrievarkie emerges, perched close to the water's edge, as a beacon of warming comfort. And given that the road climbs to a dizzying height of 2,500ft above sea level, accessibility in winter is a challenge in all but the most robust vehicle.

"The house is available to guests only from April to November," explains Patrick, who points out that during the coldest months of this period at least one driver in a visiting party should be at the wheel of a 4x4. The estate purchased this substantial house, which can accommodate 12 adults and six children, in 1999 when it was in a very poor state of repair. Its previous, Italian owners hadn't quite got round to having the house connected to the national grid, and instead power was supplied by a generator.

Introducing an electricity supply was just one of a list of major tasks necessary to revive the ailing lodge. Tradesmen working with builders Goodwillie & Hunter of Perth pitched up at Corrievarkie in caravans during the summer of 2000 while others lived in the house as the project progressed. Extensive repairs were carried out to the slate roof, insulation was vastly upgraded, the entire house was re-plumbed and re-wired, new heating was installed and external harling and paintwork were given a facelift.

Internally, the estate retained the property's original layout and evocative features such as fireplaces and the rows of servants' bells lining the hallway. The condition of the bathrooms and kitchen was such that the only option was to start again, with fittings delivered from Inverness and Perth without recourse to horseback. A gleaming stainless steel range cooker is the focal point in the kitchen, which has been kitted out with every conceivable piece of equipment required to self-cater en masse.

Given the size of the house (the original lodge was much smaller, but renovations have extended it a couple of times over the years) it was deemed necessary to add a couple of extra bathrooms. Those with deep baths are in demand after a day on the loch or surrounding hills.

Loch Ericht is 16 miles long, with a surface area of around seven square miles, making this the tenth largest freshwater loch in Scotland. Dammed at both ends (protecting the village of Dalwhinnie from flooding), the loch is fed at its northern extremity by the Cuaich Aqueduct, while the southern end links to the hydro power station via the River Ericht. And though visitors no longer have to arrive by boat, many bring them to explore the loch, home to a fair few brown trout.

After lochside strolls, stalking trips and expeditions into the nearby moors and hills, walkers return to a crackling fire and panoramic views. A couple of years ago, the estate built a deer fence around the property, as well as a stone bridge and ha-ha wall – a sunken boundary that doesn't obstruct views beyond.

The cosy dining room has a woodburner stove while the breakfast room boasts a charming white-tiled Dutch ceramic stove, probably added by past owners. The drawing room, with its open fire, is the perfect hideaway and its furnishings include items original to the house, likely to have been transported from Glasgow or Edinburgh by rail to Dalwhinnie, before making the eight-mile boat trip to the lodge. Pieces such as the carved timber scroll-arm sofa were despatched to restorers and reupholstered before resuming their role at Corrievarkie. A grand mahogany table and chairs in the dining room are also original to the house, as is the old farmhouse table that takes centre stage in the kitchen. A few pieces are new, such as the specially commisssioned serving table in the dining room.

Many of the old beds in the house were too rickety to salvage, so Patrick asked Berkshire-based interior designer Serena Richards to source suitable replacements, a request met with lovely brass designs. Serena, who was also responsible for the curtains, cushions and bed covers, chose wallpapers and paint shades to complement the period style.

Corrievarkie Lodge first welcomed guests in 2001, and has a high rate of return visitors, who often get together with several generations of their family. This is a place where everyone can regress to childhood pleasures, exploring little burns and pools, gazing at starlit skies and building bonfires on the shore, safe in the knowledge that a temperamental mobile reception is the only link to the cares of the outside world.

For details visit www.lochericht.co.uk, tel: [phone]. For interior designer Serena Richards, tel: [phone].

#149 This article was first published in The Scotsman Magazine on Saturday, March 20, 2010