of the House of Lords in
London - can be felt in the
room, which was once home
to a very valuable library.
An imitation of a bookcase
opens as a door out of
the library, through to the
apartments occupied by the
Queen and the Prince during
their honeymoon visit.
The design created in Baron’s
Hall is Francis Bernasconi’s
most elaborate work. The
ceiling is formed into three
bays of intricate vaulting,
which extend to form
recesses at each end of the
room. In the middle of each
bay an oil lantern hangs,
designed in a Gothic style.
The fireplace, which has
remained unaltered, is an
adaptation of a funerary
monument, fit to grace the
most aristocratic of graves.
The room is lit by a painted
glass window with figures
representing the early lairds
of Glenorchy, showing their
descendants from Duncan
Campbell, Knight of Loch
Awe, the common ancestor
of the great houses of Argyll
and Breadalbane. Around the
walls is an elaborate wooden
dado, the lower part of the
wall. The lower walls consist
mainly of late German medieval carvings, complemented
by some contemporary work
that incorporates the “B”
cipher and heraldic figures
of the Breadalbane family,
including flamingos, eagles,
stags and wild boars.
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In honouring the regal
ambience and long pedigree
of the estate, the splendid
Highland caste is being
delicately restored to its
former glory in a manner
keeping with its rich history
and retaining the structure’s
integrity. Around £29 million
has already been spent on
the masterful renovation,
which must adhere to strict
rules from Historic Scotland
on the use of traditional
materials and techniques.
Once fully open, Highland Tay
Retreat’s grounds will feature
not just the luxury hotel
inside the estate’s castle, but a
large, premium spa and pool
centre, historic golf course
and equestrian centre, plus
much more. The River Tay, the
longest river in Scotland and
famous for its Atlantic salmon,
runs through the grounds and
offers great fishing.
Legendary course designer
James Braid created the
magnificent 18-hole golf
course within the grounds
of Highland Tay Retreat.
As well as being a fivetime winner of the Open
Championship, Braid was a
renowned designer of over
200 golf courses. Taymouth
is a fine example of his work.
Other internationally iconic
courses he created include
Gleneagles, which hosted
the 2014 Ryder Cup, and
Carnoustie Golf Links.
The course was first opened
in 1925. Original charac55