Balintore Castle Restoration Project

Many thanks to everyone who responded to a previous blog entry , offering food and shopping services while I was snowed in at the castle. As...

Osbert Lancaster , the illustrious and witty commentator on the history of British interior décor, has much to say on the Early Victorian pe...

olive  p âté  and heat-liquified olive oil One of the disadvantages of being snowed in at the castle, as at present, is being unable to shop...

I got back to Balintore Castle from Orkney on Tuesday of this week. When I arrived there was less than one inch of snow lying around the cas...

As the Isles of Orkney are surrounded by the North Sea, their climate is much moderated by large bodies of water. In consequence, I was look...

The "family update" Chistmas letter is, according to reknown and soi-disant etiquette expert William Hanson, not read and by infe...

Gavin has done an amazing job tiling a mini kitchen in a servants' room in the basement of the castle. He finished today, using a remain...