The couple spending £3 million on the makeover of 'fairy-tale' Scottish castle
The imposing Fasque Castle, which was once occupied by Victorian Prime Minister, William Gladstone, has recently been taken over by Simon and Susan Flame.
The couple already own exclusive use property, Broxburn Courtyard, in East Lothian, and have some big plans for their 215-year-old acquisition, which is situated in Fettercairn, Aberdeenshire.
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Hide AdThey want to spend £3 million on revamping the interiors, adding a new food and drink offering, and generally making the venue a touch more luxurious.
We asked the pair to tell us more.
Why did you decide to take on the property?
Simon: We’ve been hosting weddings from our family estate at Broxmouth Park in East Lothian for over a decade. The restoration of Broxmouth Courtyard during 2021, and the transformation of the site into such a sought-after venue from 2022, is something we’ve thoroughly enjoyed.
Now that the team has the operation of the venue arranged like clockwork, I was keen to look at how we could deliver the format at a second venue. While I wasn’t sure what I was looking for as the search began, as soon as I saw Fasque I was blown away by its grand entrance, striking turrets and impressive cantilevered staircase. I could see the potential immediately.
I’d heard good things about Fasque Castle a number of years ago but had never visited and, given the project taking place on our estate in Dunbar, I never gave it any further thought. That was until I was in conversation with a property agent (Adam Davies from Savills) early this year, who suggested that we take a look.
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Hide AdOur first viewing of the property was in March this year, and very quickly we decided that Fasque was ‘the one’.
What's your vision?
Simon: Hiring Fasque for exclusive use means you’re planning for an amazing experience. The building itself was carefully renovated several years ago and there’s everything couples and their guests could need during a wedding weekend.
We’ll be carrying out some lower-key updates this winter, for example introducing en-suite bathrooms to all bedrooms. Additionally, some of the spaces aren’t working as effectively as they should so we’ll be reallocating some of the rooms to make the guest experience and service flow more easily. Next winter we will refurbish the top floor of the building, and bring it back to life from its 80-year slumber. However, the biggest change we’ll be making is restyling some of the interior spaces, and this is something that my wife, Susan, is leading on. She’s really worked her magic and delivered the wow factor at Broxmouth, and we want to add some of the same style and colour to the spaces at Fasque.
Susan: The spaces at Fasque range from grand to cosy, so my focus is on pulling everything together under a refreshed style and ensuring that this works to connect the spaces and provide a coherent guest experience. While we’ll be retaining the luxurious feel that the venue is known for, it’s important that it also reflects our character. We want people to feel at home, and the venue to easily enable our team to deliver truly exceptional hospitality. Our vision is a venue that’s a delight to be in, and an unique events experience.
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Hide AdYou're investing £3 million, where do you think most will be spent?
Simon: We will spend approximately half on the house and the rest on the estate parking, cottages and former walled garden properties. It's our intention to phase this over several years, as we come to know and appreciate the needs of the house and estate better.
Which area has the most magic?
Susan: The grandeur and scale of the large sandstone building itself is simply breathtaking. It sits peacefully in the middle of its grounds, adjacent to the very pretty Victorian church, looking out over the deer park with spectacular views to the east. It’s a great honour to be its custodian, and to be responsible for the next chapter of its story.
Have any challenges come up since taking ownership?
Simon: As unexpected challenges are invariably unwanted challenges, we carried out a number of surveys before buying Fasque. The previous owners had done a good job in renovating the property and had paid attention to the infrastructure. I am sure that there will be surprises along the way, but hopefully not too many.
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Hide AdHowever a truly remarkable instance occurred when we were contacted, around the time of the purchase, by a descendant of the original builder of Fasque, Sir Alexander Ramsay. Ewan, a scion of the Ramsay family, discovered that the table he inherited from his mother had originally come from Fasque, 198 years earlier. He had known the table throughout his childhood and had lovingly restored it. It is a truly beautiful Regency table that was built for the house when constructed in 1809, and would easily have seated 30+ guests for dinner. Ewan very kindly offered us the table as a 'castle warming present' and we were delighted to accept his exceptional gift.
What are the limits, with an A-listed building?
Simon: We already own two and the general rule is that you need Listed Building Consent for almost everything. In addition, any work generally has to follow the guidelines and standards of the original construction where possible. Although this inevitably carries an additional cost, as a lover of period buildings, I think the system makes every sense. I have a collection of Country Life magazines running from the publication's inception in the 1890s, and it's shocking to see the adverts from demolition and salvage experts, largely following WW2, proposing to knock down and recycle period buildings. Many hundreds of unique houses were lost in Britain prior to the establishment of the current gradings and controls, and they were created to protect places such as Fasque.
Who do you hope to attract?
Simon: Fasque Castle has been an important part of Aberdeenshire, and it’s clear that it’s very well positioned not just as a wedding venue but also for corporate hospitality. The team has previously hosted car launches, corporate retreats and special events, and we will be aiming to grow the number of events that we deliver.
While promotion of the venue has been reduced in recent years, we will be taking part in a number of events, networking opportunities and partnerships, all designed to remind our prospective event planners and couples that we’re here and ready to serve!
Do you want it to be a foodie destination?
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Hide AdSimon: Previously, the venue utilised a number of external caterers. We believe that food is incredibly important and the only way to deliver a premium offering is to ensure that catering is provided by an in-house chef team.
We’ve really worked hard at Broxmouth Courtyard to get to that point, and it only works because of the great relationships that the chef team, operations and weddings teams have together. They know how each other work, what’s required of each other and how they can push each other to continually improve. This is exactly what we’re aiming for at Fasque. We want to be known for our fine dining experience.
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