Woodland retreat with hot tub in the Highlands

Caroline and I left our jobs in music and design in 1990 and moved from South London to Glen Dye.

This was a no-brainer; our first son was six months old and we wanted to live our life in the countryside, surrounded by children, dogs, chickens and horses.

Glen Dye is a magical place. It pulls you in and wraps you in a warm, gentle, inspiring embrace.

It has been in my family for seven generations, since the 1840s. And now they were offering us the chance to occupy the estate. But that involved more than 20 houses, all of which were derelict or pretty much uninhabitable, several farms in need of love, a number of tumbledown farm buildings and a small, disillusioned team. So, in between other jobs that allowed us to pay our way, and with help from a massively supportive bank and a fine team of people, we started to renovate.

It took 25 years but with a passion bordering on insanity that drove us forward, we’re there; houses fixed, farms working, buildings renovated, and people positive and happy.

We first renovated the main house – an 1820s shooting lodge – for our own home. North Lodge, which is attached to our house, was the next to be renovated. We started the work in 2019 after a major flood that all but destroyed its interior. It gave us a

chance to remodel the building, one of 10 holiday homes we have at Glen Dye.

Everything had to be re-done.

We redesigned the ground floor to create three new rooms from four. New joists were laid, we rewired the electrics, put in new central heating, and built a new bathroom. The top-tobottom refurbishment means it now sleeps six in two king-size beds and two singles and has a large kitchen/dining room, a big hallway, and an expansive sitting room. There are two lovely bathrooms; no detail was overlooked.

We had decorated many houses together in the past along with shops, cafes, restaurants and a pub.

So we feel comfortable in what we do. We always base our colour choices on the Farrow & Ball palette. Windows are dressed in rich, heavy cotton or velvet and vintage prints are mixed with modern pieces, many of which we source from Print Club London and Jealous Gallery.

We have loads of contacts in the world of vintage.

We owned the interiors brand Pedlars for 21 years until we sold it. We have incorporated design classics in our interior choices like Wenger chairs, Tolix steel furniture and lighting from iconic designers Anglepoise. More affordable pieces were sourced from Heals and Habitat. We’ve used lots of velvet in North Lodge and pictures with gilt frames as the two work well together. Floorboards are white, which is traditional in this part of the Highlands. We soften them with vintage rugs.

We are thrilled with the result.

But what we, and our guests, love best about North Lodge is its large windows and views. The property sits in a magical spot, looking down over the River Dye to the south with a view over the fabled Tor of Clachnaben. Just as enchanting is the private footpath that winds its way along the river to the River Cabin and an enchanting woodland with a wood-burning stove and Swedish hot tub, perfect for relaxing under canopy of stars.