Skibo Castle

Starting in my teens, I've had a good many enjoyable trips to Scotland, so when I say that last week was very special and the most memorable of all those experiences, you can be sure that it was quite something. We were lucky enough to spend six nights at Skibo Castle as guests of generous friends, Shelly and Steven, who are members of the Carnegie Club. The Club is based at the castle and takes its name from Andrew Carnegie, the great benefactor of libraries (amongst many other philanthropic projects) who bought and transformed the castle at the end of the nineteenth century. If I remember rightly, the first library event I ever took part in as a writer was in a Carnegie library in Merseyside, and I've been to plenty more since then. But nothing prepared me for Skibo. 

I'd anticipated that the weather might be iffy and took plenty of books, but as things turned out, there was barely a drop of rain from the moment our plane landed at Inverness, and I hardly read a word. Very lucky. The castle offers a wide range of outdoors activities and although most of these are not really my cup of tea, I did try my hand at axe-throwing and archery. Of course, I was hopeless at both, but at least I didn't injure anyone! The castle grounds are lovely, with many secluded walks. And the castle itself has fantastic facilities, as well as an archivist who gave us two very interesting tours. I thought the Queen Mary was luxurious, and it is, but Skibo is in a league of its own.

Because the sun shone, it seemed like a good plan to get out and about in the surrounding area, north of Inverness. So there were trips to Dornoch, with its beach, ancient cathedral, and pleasant local shops, the massive Dunrobin Castle (superbly situated by the Moray Firth) and a spur of the moment pilgrimage to find the former home of Anne Perry, who died a couple of years ago. I recalled Anne telling me many years ago about the charm of her secluded home on the outskirts of the seaside village of Portmahomack, and the place certainly lived up to what she told me about it.

There were two hosted dinners in the castle itself, while lunch and dinner was otherwise taken at the Clubhouse, situated beside the golf course. You don't need an alarm clock at Skibo, because every morning at 8 am, a bagpiper marches around the castle. At 9 am, an organist plays in the great hall to accompany your breakfast. Afternoon tea, served either in the castle or in the gardens from the old potting shed, is delightful. The library is first-rate (as is, it must be said, the whisky library, where we enjoyed an excellent tasting). There was a visiting falconer called David whose birds gave a fine display. Everything is luxurious without being flashy. And the resident pianists play Burt Bacharach on request - what more could anyone wish for? I met some interesting people and I did think the quality of the service provided by the staff was impeccable - quite a tribute to those in management, because achieving such high standards and maintaining them is no easy task. All in all, it was a unique experience and I'll never forget it.