Aldourie Castle has stood on Loch Ness for 400 years and is now an exclusive-use estate sleeping 24 guests.
Set between the loch’s southern shore and Drumashie Moor, Aldourie is described by owner WildLand as the only remaining habitable castle on Loch Ness. Its latest restoration pairs period-led interiors by London antiques specialist Jamb with gardens redesigned by landscape architect Tom Stuart-Smith.
The Category A listed castle now sits within 500 acres of gardens, woodland, wildflower meadows and farmland. From its north-west-facing lawn, guests look across the water towards the slopes of Creag Dherag, while centuries-old trees and more than 1,000 recent plantings frame the wider estate.
From laird’s house to Baronial castle
Aldourie was first noted as a laird’s house in 1625, linked at that time with Mackintosh of Kyllachy in Nairnside. Another historical account places its founding in 1626 and names Alexander Macintosh of Kyllachie as the original owner.
The early building was a restrained, two-storey stone house with an attic and a round tower at its south-west corner. It remained broadly unchanged for around 150 years before successive owners began expanding both the house and its grounds.
A two-storey western wing followed in 1839. The property’s defining transformation came during the 1860s, when William Fraser-Tytler commissioned architects Mackenzie & Matthews to enlarge it in a Scottish Baronial style influenced by early 17th-century architecture.
Round towers, steep dormers, oriel windows and candle-snuffer turrets gave the castle much of its present character. Canals and small cascades were introduced across the grounds, alongside drainage works, enclosed dells and a long terrace north-east of the house.
Sir Robert Lorimer added a south-east wing between 1902 and 1904. The castle is also associated with the Lovat Scouts, the Highland military unit reputedly founded at Aldourie in 1893 by Lord Lovat and Edward Fraser-Tytler.
Restoring Aldourie Castle and its estate
A major restoration took place between 2002 and 2010, focusing on specialist paintwork, murals and metal fixtures inside the castle. Further conservation work began in 2017 after Aldourie became part of WildLand, the Scottish hospitality and conservation organisation owned by Anders Holch Povlsen.
Ptolemy Dean Architects oversaw the more recent architectural work, repairing and reharling the castle while also restoring its partly collapsed walled garden and steading range. The project also added a Home Farm, biomass building, gate lodge and suspension bridge, reconnecting buildings that had become separated from the wider estate.
A new boathouse was constructed on the site of an earlier building, with a curved timber roof resembling an upturned vessel. It now provides a secluded setting beside Loch Ness for yoga and private gatherings.
The completed Aldourie Castle Estate project received a RIBA National Award in 2025. The RIBA jury said the scheme had restored the property’s character while reconnecting its buildings to their romantic setting, praising the standard of its design and execution.
Tom Stuart-Smith’s revived gardens
Aldourie’s 96 acres of historic parkland are included in Scotland’s Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes. Their boundaries have remained largely unchanged since the mid-19th century, although the contemporary estate extends across a much broader 500-acre setting.
Tom Stuart-Smith’s garden design balances formal structure with softer planting. The restored Victorian kitchen garden produces vegetables and herbs, while wildflower meadows bring natural colour to the grounds. In summer, Japanese anemones and lilac asters fill a dedicated garden with pink and purple flowers.
A seven-person team tends the walled garden, where guests can help gather ingredients. More than 1,000 trees have also been planted around Aldourie as part of WildLand’s long-term conservation work, which follows a 200-year vision for restoring Highland habitats.
Period interiors designed for private stays
Inside the castle, Jamb founders Charlotte Freemantle and Will Fisher worked with WildLand to preserve a sense of historical continuity. Period furniture sits beside vintage pieces, artisan-made designs and modern art, avoiding a uniform hotel aesthetic.
Edward Bulmer’s Jonquil gives the great hall its warm finish, with the colour inspired by setting plaster. The drawing room has celadon silk walls, while layered textiles and antiques give the principal rooms the feel of a private Highland home.
Ruth Kramer, WildLand’s concept and design manager, said the team selected Jamb because the castle required specialist knowledge of period furniture. Practical comfort remained central to the design, from seating arrangements to whether guests could make their own coffee.
“How do they like to sit? Do they want to be able to make their own coffee? What makes them feel at home?” Kramer said in an interview with Homes & Interiors Scotland.
Exclusive use for up to 24 guests
Aldourie Castle is offered as a fully staffed, exclusive-use property with 12 bedrooms and space for 24 guests. A 2024 profile listed the hire price at £18,000 per night, although current rates should be confirmed directly with WildLand. Cottages and bothies around the estate can be booked separately or added when larger groups take the castle.
Menus are planned around each stay and prepared by private chefs. Days can include boat trips on Loch Ness, guided hikes, ceramics sessions and flower arranging, while clay-pigeon shooting, archery and cycling offer more active options. A local historian or pipe band can also be arranged.
“It is effectively a hotel service but one that’s tailored to each guest,” WildLand experiences manager Lavinia Turner said. She also said many visitors prefer to spend their stay relaxing and exploring the estate.
Guests can gather for a celebration, walk through the restored gardens or watch Loch Ness from the lawn.
