How a Highland castle turned private members' club for super rich is bringing back heritage produce

A historic Scottish castle has been given a multi-million pound renovation and a new lease of life as a private members club for the super rich. Rosalind Erskine visited to find out how and why the team are bringing back heritage produce, and how engaging with the local community is key.

Taymouth Castle on the outskirts of Aberfeldy could have easily gone the way of so many other stately piles across the country. In a state of disrepair, with many leaks, it could have taken “another couple of winters” for a complete collapse of one of the hand painted ceilings in the drawing room meaning they’d have been lost forever.

Taymouth Castle sits at the head of Loch Tay in Perthshire. More than £100m has been spent on returning the pile to its past Victorian splendour. | Represent

Now the green/grey stone building, that you can glimpse from the road, has been restored to its former glory, and has been turned into a private members club by Discovery Land Company (DLC). DLC is responsible for the renovation and operations of Taymouth Castle, which was purchased by a US-based investment group including John Paul DeJoria, entrepreneur, and philanthropist in 2018.

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Millions have been spent on its painstaking restoration, taking it back to the former owner’s heyday - the Campbells of Breadalbane - who famously opened the doors of the castle to welcome Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The castle is the finest example of a Gothic Revival-style country house in the UK and, having had several owners before now, was set to be lost for good until the restoration. Local and Scottish crafts and tradespeople were used in the huge renovation project, including Prestwick-based Rainbow Glass Studios and MacKay Decorators in Perth.

Holiday homes are planned for land surrounding the castle - and there’s an upgraded James Braid-designed golf course within the grounds. Both the homes and golf course will be accessible only to ‘ultra-rich’ DLC members, who will use the castle as the club house where a bar, kids room with old school arcade games and sweet-stocked kitchen, tavern, library, and whisky library can be found. DLC have also bought Glen Lyon estate and are undertaking an ambitious culinary project to bring back heritage produce such as apples and beef to the land.

The Chinese Room at Taymouth Castle. | Represent

Anyone who passes the imposing but beautiful castle and thinks this is another classic National Trust property that you can visit for a wander in the garden or tour is sadly much mistaken. “This was always a private house,” said culinary director Gary Robinson who is overseeing the kitchens in the castle and culinary programme at the Glen Lyon estate. “We're going back in time here a little bit, but when it was here, you couldn’t just rock up and say ‘any chance of a coffee’”. While locals and visitors can’t pop in for tea and a scone, the local community has been made part of the renovation and future of the estate. Children from the local school have taken part in the apple tree planting, with each getting a tag with their name for their tree so they can grow up with it.

Mr Robinson, who has worked in some of Scotland’s best kitchens including in the Balmoral Hotel and for the Royal family, likened this job to working for the Royals, saying this role, which was a homecoming for him, is refreshing as it’s “not in the competition space”. He said: “It kind of takes a lot of the pressure off your thinking, as this is all I have to do here. It does take me slightly back to my days with the Royal family, because all I had to do on any given day was look after my boss and his guests.”

culinary director Gary Robinson | contributed

Mr Robinson knows only too well that some of the best produce whether that’s mushrooms or seafood is Scottish but that most of it ends up down south in London or in Europe. We don’t get first refusal on our own produce, which is something he’s changing within this ecosystem that has been created at Taymouth Castle. By using his contacts from years of working in high end kitchens and for literal Royalty, Mr Robinson has access to the best Scottish produce, which he said: ”The produce we’re producing up here, we’re getting first dibs on. Our supply chain programme is the coolest thing. I’m getting access to the best of the best, such as girolles, before the Michelin Star restaurants.”

While there’s access to the best in the country, Mr Robinson is heading up the culinary programme and is taking steps to bring back traditional produce on the estate’s farm. Mr Robinson said: “We’re not just cooking to feed people; we're thinking carefully about how that plays into the impact on the land, the environment, and the learning culture we bring to our guests. We are passionate about producing food with honesty and integrity.” Traditional or lost produce such as Ashmean’s Kernel, Beauty of Moray, Cambusnethan Pippin; White Joaneting and Golden Monday apples and Chalk Crawford, Lindores, Flower of Monorgan and Jargonelle pears, as well as livestock such as Scottish cattle, are being introduced back to the farm.

While this castle may, once again, be only for a few to enjoy, the return to hyper local and traditional produce, and the techniques of slow cooking and growing that the staff here are being exposed to could result in these practises being taken with them as they leave to start their own venture or join other kitchens. If this is the case, the restoration of this beautiful castle isn’t the only thing that’s being protected for future generations.