NO PLACE LIKE HOME
When Will and Sarah Leslie moved into Wardhill Castle it sorely needed overhauling, but they’ve done such a good job that Will’s sister – Game of Thrones actress Rose Leslie – got married there, finds Nichola Hunter
Wardhill Castle in Aberdeenshire, where Game of Thrones stars Rose Leslie and Kit Harington tied the knot, is a place full of surprises
‘If we wanted to renovate the castle, we needed to provide an income to do it
Will and Sarah Leslie moved into Wardhill Castle in Aberdeenshire in 2014. ‘Will’s parents had been living in the castle for the last 35 years and asked us to take over the running of the estate,’ Sarah explains. Initially a modest house, the castle has been extended significantly over the past 850 years until Victorian times when it fell into disrepair.
For the first 18 months, Will and Sarah lived in a small section at the back of the castle while Will’s parents continued to live in the main part. ‘As time went on we started thinking, “how are we going to manage this big house, how will we pay all the bills?” Will’s parents had used it solely as their family home and for that generation, diversification was very much a new thing. However, if we wanted to renovate the castle properly, we needed to be able to provide an income to do it.’
The obvious solution was to offer the castle as an exclusive use, luxury venue for family holidays and celebrations but before the couple could do that there was a lot of work to be done. Testing the market, the first project they embarked upon was the conversion of an old bothy into a luxury glamping cottage. ‘It was a stone bothy with a mud floor, and I think it had been a gardener’s cottage in Victorian times. It’s a quirky, one room (plus WC), open plan design with a log burner and a Victorian roll top bath and it quickly proved very popular with guests.
‘Next, we started to clear the walled garden which was completely overgrown. It took about a year to clear and then we
‘I would find one thing I liked such as a pair of curtains and build the whole scheme around that’
turfed it so we could use it for events. It’s a huge space and perfect for a marquee. It’s also really cool as it’s in the middle of the woods and is completely hidden from the castle. When you arrive at the castle you can’t even see where the marquee is.’
With money gradually coming in, some funding was secured to renovate the main house. ‘At that point, Will’s parents moved out so we could commence redecoration. The plans for how we could use the house evolved over time and we realised we could separate the castle. It was possible for us to live in the rear section with our three-year-old son Harry and let out the grander, front section for events. We changed the game larder into a large kitchen for us and started working our way through each room.
‘Every room was redecorated. I did do three rooms in one go, all from scratch, and that was difficult. I think interior designers say that you’re supposed to pull everything together and then install it and I think I did the opposite. I would find one thing that I liked such as a pair of curtains and build the whole scheme around that.
Most of the rooms I’ve painted rather than wallpapered but each one is individually decorated. So it’s unique; it’s not like a hotel where you have one scheme throughout. We were also very fortunate that there was lots of furniture distributed across
the castle which we were able to use. I have bought several modern pieces and added a lot of new lighting, but we haven’t had to buy everything. We do still need to rethink the lighting. Most of the ground floor is still lit by lamps because Will’s great grandfather sold the chandelier to pay off gambling debts.’
While Sarah wanted to give the castle a more modern vibe, she wasn’t about to throw the baby out with the bath water, and she was keen to retain a sense of the property’s history. ‘There are some things I haven’t changed. For example, the wallpaper in the library has been there since the 1920s and the drawing room has an amazing bright orange wallpaper which has also been there
‘Compared to some old houses it is a lot more colourful, but I think it works’
for years. It’s definitely a big, big mix of old and new. I suppose, compared to some old houses it is a lot more colourful, but I think it works.’
With enough renovations done to start welcoming guests, plans for the castle continued to evolve when the doors opened. ‘We realised self-catering wasn’t what our guests were looking for. The kitchen was hardly used; so now we offer a chef, butler, housekeeper – everything you need. It’s rather like staying in a luxury hotel but with