A former Royal butler has said that a Scottish castle that can be rented out reminds him of Balmoral Estate.
Grant Harrold, who previously worked for King Charles for seven years as part of the Royal household, recently stayed in Ogilvie Castle in Perthshire. He revealed that Ogilvie reminded him of the time he spent with the Queen and the Royal family up in Scotland.
Looking at the 16th century castle, its decor and interior layout are indeed reminiscent of Balmoral. In a guided video tour around the property, Harrold discusses its similarities.
According to holiday home rental agency Luxury Cottages, the property is laid out over five floors that are all accessed by a spiral staircase. Sleeping sixteen guests in separate rooms, "each with their own individual character", it has been restored and the interior has been "designed to an extremely high specification".
In the video tour for Luxury Cottages, the former Royal butler also reveals how ‘entertaining’ was hugely important to the Royals during their time in Scotland as he likens Ogilvie’s dining space—which includes an "elaborately hand painted ceiling"—to Balmoral’s Great Hall.
Other highlights of Ogilvie Castle include a "state-of-the-art fully fitted" kitchen and underfloor heating. Meanwhile, the master bedroom includes a king size four poster Ralph Lauren bed, an open plan screened bathroom, and even its own turret.
Commenting on what he believes the Royal Family love about the Scottish Highlands, Harrold commented: "I think it’s the fact the Royals can get away from everything and just have time to be themselves. I’m a bit biased - I love Scotland, you do feel that you can just get away and enjoy the peace and tranquility of that estate.
"In the summer, it’s gorgeous, you’d be mad not to want to get away and that’s something the Queen really enjoyed and I suppose to some extent the isolation from her normal life in London. It was something they really treasured and a chance to be with just the family, which the Queen was all about."
Harrold's full tour of Ogilvie Castle can be found on YouTube, while more information about the property can be found on the Luxury Cottages website.
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