Travel: Fasque Castle, by Fettercairn, Aberdeenshire

Fasque is set deep in Aberdeenshire countryside at the foot of the Cairn O’ Mount and for more than 200 years its peace and beauty has only been on offer to the privileged few. That, however, is changing, with the wrought iron gates to this secluded baronial mansion to open a bit more freely over coming months.

The house was the childhood home of prime minister William Gladstone and it is said he often called here when visiting Queen Victoria at Balmoral.

Fasque is said to take its name from “faskie”, the Gaelic for safe place, and true enough, when you head through the gates up the long gravel drive you instantly feel that sense of seclusion. On approach, you’ll see a herd of deer roaming in a copse of mature trees. Sweep round and Fasque will be revealed in all its splendour. Once you enter this grand, ample house, it feels like nothing could possibly go wrong.

Budget or boutique?

Fasque has been primarily an exclusive wedding party venue. But now that it has been taken over by the ICMI group, managers of Inverlochy Castle and Andy Murray’s Cromlix House, Fasque will be open to a wider clientele on key weekends. The company has added Castle to the title to extend its marketing appeal.

Fasque’s first opening under new management was on Valentine’s Day, when it charged £499 per couple for dinner, bed and breakfast for one night. Those figures have been revised ahead of both May holiday weekends. Bed and breakfast will start at £175 with a three-course dinner priced at £35, so you won’t have to be a North-East oil baron to check in.

Room service

The interior of Fasque is stunning and finally getting to look around the place feels like a privilege in itself. It features all the finery of its Victorian past but with modern comforts, textiles and touches too. Arrive in the main hall and you’ll see the elegant cantilever staircase which sweeps up to 19 “castle” rooms, each styled individually. Our four-poster room was set in dark, brooding red with low lighting, deep oak furniture and heavy velvet drapes. The Victorian drama of it all was offset with a top-of-the range espresso machine and a music docking station. The bathroom, yellow and bright, was fitted with French-style antique glass cabinets and mirrors, while also being blessed with underfloor heating and a piping hot walk-in shower. In the spirit of a serene getaway there is no television and no wi-fi in the bedrooms, but you can connect in Fasque’s many lounges.

Wining and dining

The focal point of the Fasque dining room is a roaring log fire, and this with the crisply set tables, heavy silverware and candlelight makes it a fine setting for dinner. The set menu was sophisticated and simple with the standout dishes dressed crab and langoustine salad with Bloody Mary salad to start and the fillet of beef with dauphinoise and port jus for main. The salad was beautifully presented, though a bit underwhelming, but the dauphinoise were perfection and the beef, so fresh you wondered which field in the shire it had just walked in from.

The house wine, a 2006 La Poderosa Malbec, was a perfect accompaniment to a cold Saturday night in the country.

Breakfast in the same room, all lit by morning sun with open views across the estate, was just wonderful.

Worth getting out of bed for

You really are rural at Fasque, and a roam around the estate is a lovely start to the day. There is the little church built by Gladstone’s father in the grounds, a river, woods and a formal garden to meander around. Beyond the grounds, the nearest village of Fettercairn is very pleasant, and the Arch Bistro and Fettercairn distillery are worth a visit. A drive up Cairn O’ Mount is rewarded by views over towards Banchory, and you can take a break in the Falls of Feugh tearoom.

Little extras

After dinner, there will be a dram waiting for you in the library, with a full crystal decanter on the sideboard.

Guestbook comments

Opening up Fasque to a bigger crowd is a long awaited opportunity to enjoy a fine country house in a beautifully unspoilt corner of Scotland.

• Fasque will next open next weekend (29 April - 1 May) and then May bank holiday weekend (27-29 May). Bed and breakfast from £175 per night and garden cottage rental from £170 per night. Dinner, lunch and afternoon prosecco tea also available. www.fasquecastle.com