Sprawling country estate made famous by BBC drama is bought by singer’s daughter
THE new owners of the Scottish est ate that featured in hit BBC TV show Monarch of the Glen have vowed to “preserve its legacy” for generations to come.
Hannah Heerema – the daughter of Scots singer Fiona Kennedy and businessman Francis Clark – and her husband Eric paid an undisclosed sum for Balavil Estate in the Highlands.
It is considered the “jewel in the crown” of Scottish sporting estates with a sprawling 7,500 acres that runs from the R iver Spey to t he Monadh l ia th Mountains.
The centrepiece mansion, near Kingussie, was made famous as Kilwillie Castle in the BBC drama which ran from 2000 until 2005.
The couple currently live on a 36-acre estate in West Sussex where they have a successful vine- yard. But with a ninemonth-old and another child due in October, the couple have decided to make a retur n to Hannah’s spiritual home in the Cairngorms.
She said: “Having a home in Scotland, for me, is really important. It’s part of my past – and my future – and very much the fabric of my life.
“Balavil is in the heart of Scotland and very much in the centre of my family’s upbringing.
“It will be lovely to spend more time in Scotland and be able to share where I was raised with my own children.”
The estate had never been on the market before as it had remained with the Macpherson family for generations.
It went on sale for offers in the region of £7 million in 2013.
The sprawling grounds used to be let out the property for shooting or other corporate visits. But the Heeremas have more low key plans to use the estate as a family home. However they have vowed to “preserve its legacy”.
Hannah and her husband Eric, 54, who is a Dutch investor, run Nyetimber - one of the most successful vineyards in Europe –
The 28-year-old said she plans to split her time between the Highlands and her other home in West Sussex.
She said: “The Caledonian Sleeper goes directly from London to Kingussie.
“It will be an adventure for the little ones.”