Highland club class
Enjoy a life of luxury at your leisure in former abbey, says Paul Drury
Groucho Marx quipped that he would refuse to join any club that would have him as a member, but the comic legend would probably have made an exception for an invitation from the highland club.
Set amid 20 acres of lush landscaped grounds on the shores of Loch Ness, the converted Benedictine monastery comprises 109 private apartments and cottages.
The ‘club’ element comes in the form of the luxury leisure facilities available to ‘members’ – a gym, swimming pool and sauna, tennis courts, a badminton court and cricket pitch.
There is also a welcoming club lounge, formerly the monks’ dining room, and an on-site restaurant, The Boathouse.
It could be argued that such an arrangement best lends itself to the holiday market, either keeping it to yourself or letting it out to the burgeoning ‘staycation’ market which has witnessed a price explosion with so many people staying in the UK for breaks.
To take advantage of national and international rental market opportunities, agreement would need to be reached with the owner of Flat 23 in Abbey church, Bim Sandhu, boss of the Santon Group which converted the property in Fort Augustus, Inverness-shire in 2012.
In 2019, the apartment earned a net income of £18,000.
As an indicator of his faith in his conversion, Mr Sandhu and his family retained a number of properties within the development, citing the ‘love at first sight’ they experienced when they saw it in 2003.
originally built as a military fort in 1729, it became St Benedict’s Abbey in the late 19th century.
The remarkable property had been abandoned and fallen into a state of disrepair when the Santon Group, specialist listed building developers, rescued it in 2003.
The one-bedroom Flat 23 may be compact but it is striking for its huge stone archway, which separates the living accommodation from the kitchen/diner.
This is the first time it has been offered to the market since the highland club was completed.
Like the living room, the sole bedroom has a window which looks out on majestic views – and which hold a fascination among Nessie believers the world over.
Indeed, the highland club is often used as a base for international film crews, lured to the loch by the latest hint of a sighting.
Mr Sandhu’s wife Pardeep – head of marketing for the Santon Group – said: ‘The transformation of the abbey into the highland club has been a true labour of love.
‘We have worked hard to preserve the extraordinary character and many beautiful features of the original abbey and safeguard these glorious buildings for future generations.
‘We love it here so much and it holds a very special place in our family’s hearts.’
Don’t expect to see a man with an outsize moustache there any time soon – but a monster swimming nearby? Who knows?