Behind the doors of Borthwick Castle
From a refuge for Mary Queen of Scots to a unique luxury retreat, it took three years to restore Borthwick Castle to its former medieval glory. Here interior designer Melanie Brown gives us the inside scoop on the exclusive venue.
Built in 1430 by Sir William de Borthwick, a Scottish ambassador to England and a renowned member of the ancient Borthwick family, Borthwick Castle is located in Gorebridge and known internationally as the finest Keep in Scotland. But it’s not just its 600 years’ history that makes this property special. Take a look inside the 11 lavish bedrooms, grand hall and drawing rooms and it’d be hard not to be impressed by the sumptuous designer chenille fabrics, soft Scottish wools, Harris tweeds and hand-carved furniture.
“The castle had been operating as a hotel since the late 1970s but there had been no major refurbishment since then,” explains Melanie, founder of Design Direction and the creative mind behind the restoration of the project. “When the new owners took over they wanted to transform the castle’s run-down, sparse interiors into an exclusive venue which would appeal to the most discerning international clientele so my brief was to restore the castle back to the historic grandeur which once attracted the likes of Mary Queen of Scots and the great Scottish poet and author Sir Walter Scott, but also add in all the modern comforts for 21st century living. A daunting task but I relished the challenge.
“The project began in autumn 2013 and required daily hands-on decision making so I relocated from the North East of England to live on the nearby Arniston estate, just a stone’s throw from the Castle. Thankfully the main structure of the building was astoundingly well preserved which made life slightly easier but the heating, kitchen, plumbing and electrical systems all needed renewal.”
“We worked with local tradesmen, specialist historians and an international network of artisans and craftspeople and invested in new floors, heating, oak windows and doors. But for me the biggest investment was having the time to research beautiful items and travel the world to source furniture, wall coverings and artefacts in keeping with the castle’s history. Fabrics for soft furnishings, furniture and wall coverings have been sourced in partnership with Mulberry, Sanderson and Zoffany. Furniture and decorative tailoring is in partnership with George Smith, whose founder, the early 19th Century furniture maker, remains a strong influence in the way the company’s craftsmen make and design its furniture with the best possible materials, hand built using traditional methods passed down through the generations.
“We also sourced lots of items from nearby Edinburgh, including cushions by an artisan maker McKinley and Moth, occasional dining chairs from Georgian Antiques and rugs by Calzeat & Co. Admittedly, the logistics of moving furniture and fittings into a 15th Century castle with only spiral staircases were extremely difficult – some furniture had to be hoisted in through a balcony window to the State Room, most of it in pieces to be re-assembled on site – but it didn’t stop us, it merely slowed us down at times.
“In keeping with the period of the building you’ll also find crests from historic figures directly associated with the castle embroidered into the Mulberry velvet upholstered dressing table chairs in each bedroom. The colourways of ochre and bronze, lime, sage and emerald green, purple and red are inspired by popular colours in Tudor times.
“The main body of the refurbishment at Borthwick Castle was completed in summer 2015 and it’s amazing to finally share the end result with others – it really is a Scottish hidden gem. Saying that, we do have more exciting plans in the pipeline so watch this space.”
Borthwick Castle is available for events and exclusive hire use. It’s also available for short stay breaks throughout August 2016. To find out more Tel: 01875 820514 or visit www.borthwickcastle.com.