Perthshire property reopens after £1m refurbishment

Balnakeilly House, a B-listed 16th-century mansion in Pitlochry, has opened as a luxury exclusive-use venue after undergoing a £1 million refurbishment.

It boasts 13 bedrooms and is set in its own private estate with 2,000 acres of land. Picture: contributed.

Designed and built by Scottish architect Charles Sim, it is now in the hands of Danish property investor Dan Svenningsen after being owned by the Stewart-Wilson family, who lived there for five centuries.

And it boasts 13 bedrooms and is set in its own private estate with 2,000 acres of land, including a 2.4-metre Standing Stone in the grounds. Svenningsen, chief executive of Amvest, said: “I’ve been visiting Scotland for the past ten years and have a great interest in historic buildings.

“It’s been my dream to develop a Scottish mansion and bring it back to life so when I drove up Balnakeilly’s sweeping driveway, I instantly fell in love. Our team has worked very hard to be mindful of Balnakeilly’s history and original features, working closely with the previous family who have provided many fascinating artifacts which remain in the house today, such as the original family tree going back 500 years.”

Also commenting was operations manager Sophie McGown, who said: “I’ve always loved Danish interior design and was hugely inspired during a trip to Copenhagen so have incorporated Nordic elements into Balnakeilly.”