Historic mansion’s £1m makeover

A near 500-year-old Perthshire mansion has undergone a £1 million revamp to become a new luxury events venue, creating four full-time jobs.

Balnakeilly House in Pitlochry dates back to the early 16th century and was designed and built by Scottish architect Charles Sim.

The house has been fully renovated and boasts 13 bedrooms all named after members of the Stewart-Wilson family who lived there for five centuries.

The B-listed building is now under the new ownership of award-winning Danish property investor Dan Svenningsen and is set in its own private estate with 2000 acres of land.

The venue will be available to hire for private and corporate events, as well as weddings.

The interior design of Balnakeilly House was led by operations manager Sophie McGown.

Sophie commented:“We wanted to avoid going down the traditional route of tweeds and tartans and breathe new life and colour into Balnakeilly House.

“Many of the original features are still in place such as the striking pink, green and purple stained glass coat of arms in the window by the grand staircase.

“I’ve always loved Danish interior design and was hugely inspired during a trip to Copenhagen so have incorporated Nordic elements into Balnakeilly.

“The focus was kept on incorporating many of the original features whilst giving an injection of colour and eclectic modern furniture, with a Nordic and Scottish design influence, complementing original pieces and antique artworks.”

Owner Dan Svenningsen, CEO of AMVEST, commented on his latest project:“I’ve been visiting Scotland for the past 10 years and have a great interest in historic buildings.

“It’s been my dream to develop a Scottish mansion and bring it back to life so when I drove up Balnakeilly’s sweeping driveway, I instantly fell in love.

“Our team has worked very hard to be mindful of Balnakeilly’s history and original features, working closely with the previous family who have provided many fascinating artifacts which remain in the house today, such as the original family tree going back 500 years.”