A Fearless Soul of Exploration

Carlowrie Castle, born in 1852, has accommodated only two families for nearly two hundred years the Hutchison family and the Marshall family. Designed and built by Victorian architect David Rhind, who specialized in blending neoclassical style with Scots Baronial architecture. Many of the Scottish public buildings he built are now listed as historical heritage sites. Thomas Hutchison, the former mayor of Edinburgh,commissioned David to build a castle for his home, but Thomas unfortunately died when the castle was completed.

Although Thomas did not live to see the house, the beautiful Carlowrie Castle has become a paradise for the descendants of the Hutchison family. Its most famous family member is Isobel Wylie Hutchison, the world‘s first female arctic explorer, known as the”flower in the snow”, who is also a plant collector and writer. The vast land and beautiful gardens of Carlowrie Castle inspired Isobel‘s interest in plants since childhood. She also has a linguistic talent and has started writing family magazines in the castle since she was 14 years old.

These have laid an important foundation for Isobel‘s legendary life. In the 1920s, Isobel started a solo journey from the Middle East. In 1927, she took a boat into Greenland and explored areas not known by the public. Isobel was not afraid of the harsh environment and made friends with the local people. A number of precious plant species have been collected during the six month long polar journey. After that, she traveled to other countries and collected plants. She is an important contributor to the UK Royal Garden. Those experience brought a wealth of writing materials to Isobel. She wrote many influential books and articles, and made various inspiring speeches, gradually becoming a leader in women‘s independence programs. Isobel remained unmarried for life, dedicating his life to endless exploration and thinking, and died in 1982 in Carlowrie Castle.

The current castle owner, Andrew Marshall,said: ”I grew up in Carlowrie Castle. This place called ‘home‘ is very special for me, so when it is rebuilt as a private venue, it‘s a real labour of love for me. This castle has a wonderful past, I hope to preserve its heritage and redesign it with sensitivity so that its story wouldn‘t lost.”

A Meticulous Contemporary Style

After careful renovation, Carlowrie Castle was opened to the public in 2015. There are nine bedrooms in the castle to accommodate 18 people, and the 32acre manor house provides an excellent venue for weddings and outdoor activities for up to 500 people. Andrew‘s ”preserve the heritage” is not just the restoration and consolidation of the castle‘s original appearance, but the overall redesign and decoration of the castle in a modern style, with new elements to convey the story and character of the castle, Isobel‘s independence, tenacity and vitality.

The castle is connected to the basement and the two floors above ground by a pure black central staircase, forming a symmetrical structure. The black railings, navy blue door panels, light gray walls and carpets form a lowkey and cool main color tones, which is decorated with hot pink. The color distribution is seen in lighting, paintings and seats. It is like an independent clue that contrasts with the overall tone, yet it‘s not awkward but modern, with vitality and charm. Delicate pink lilies in the atrium greet the guests with elegant floral fragrance. On the first floor and second floor corridors are a large collection of contemporary works of Andrew‘s private collection, including a series of portraits of several outstanding female artists, including Emily Blunt and Angelina Jolie.

The nine rooms are spread across the three floors, and each was named after the family members who lived there, and was designed independently according to their personality and hobbies. The details of the room are exquisite, the bed and wardrobe are handmade, the bed is 650 thread count Egyptian cotton, the pillow is filled with Hungarian swan feathers; the bathroom floor is covered with Italian marble tiles, and the separate brass bathtub sitting against the window allow you to enjoy the view of the garden while taking a bath. The washroom in the basement suite is also equipped with a separate stove. The public area of the castle is a casual bar, a beautifullydecorated library, a modern meeting room, and Piano Room for dining. Since its opening, Carlowrie Castle has attracted people from all over the world, witnessed countless weddings and hosted many chic and interesting parties.

Regardless of the morning and night, Carlowrie Castle‘s garden is worth a visit. On the side of the castle is a Victorian wind greenhouse designed by Mackenzie and Moncur. The seasonal plants are full of vitality, some of the roots even came from distant countries 100 years ago and were planted by Isobel. As a castle, Carlowrie impressed us not only with its heritage and story, but also with its energy and spirit.