What Renovating a Historic Scottish Estate Taught Me

Taking on a historic Scottish estate quickly teaches you that progress happens slowly. Decisions are shaped by heritage constraints, planning realities, and patience rather than speed.

We purchased this beautiful Scottish estate - The Gart in 2016. It had been adapted many times before and carried the weight of those decisions. Once we started stripping back the layers, we realised far more needed attention than first expected. Complete rewiring. A new heating system. And some unexpected guests in the attic. We discovered a colony of bats and learned how to share the house with them.

The project took on a life of its own.

This experience now sits at the foundation of how I approach heritage-led projects, including my current one, but that’s another post ;)

Understanding the building before intervening

The challenge was never how to transform the estate, but how to understand what needed to change and what should be left alone.

Age mattered less as a headline fact and more in how the spaces functioned. We believed strongly in retaining original features. While the direction we chose was contemporary, it was done without removing or competing with the character of the building.

The work was not about making the estate feel new. It was about restoring usefulness and creating a backdrop for our business at the time, which centred around contemporary art, while preserving the integrity of the property.

We lived on the top floor during the works and project-managed the renovation from design through to structural changes. We didn’t have a fixed plan for how the property would be renovated, which I realise is unusual. We wanted to live with the building, understand it, and make decisions as we went. Alongside that, we built close relationships with the builders and tradespeople, learning from their skills and working collaboratively. It was very much a passion project.

Using constraints as a framework

Historic buildings do, however, come with unavoidable constraints. Planning requirements. Protected elements. Material limitations. While The Gart wasn’t a listed building, we still wanted to work with the building and its history rather than against it.

Instead of seeing these constraints as obstacles, they became a framework for better decisions. Every design choice had to be justified. Materials needed to feel appropriate. Additions had to sit quietly alongside what already existed.

A good example was the stairwell skylight. Above it was only a loft space, offering no natural light. Rather than forcing a structural solution, we created a printed canvas stretched overhead with strong spotlights behind it. This produced a soft, diffused light throughout the stairwell and respected the building’s structure.

The decision to install a universal marble floor throughout the property was driven by necessity rather than aesthetics. The original floorboards were extensively rotted, and the marble created continuity and flow across the house. These contemporary additions did not detract from the building’s beauty. If anything, they highlighted it.

Long-term value in practice

Following the renovation, the estate operated as a private country house retreat and events space. It hosted small gatherings and extended stays and became a well-loved venue for film, fashion, and music events, welcoming several well-known faces.

At the time of selling, The Gart’s social media account had grown to over 40k followers. Unfortunately, it was later hacked. I took that as a sign that it was time to say goodbye and move on to the next chapter.

The property was eventually sold as a complete, finished estate, including furniture and curated art, to an iconic music artist.

That outcome reinforced my belief in doing things properly and creating something from a genuine place of passion.

Why this experience still matters

This project continues to shape how I approach heritage-led, wellness-focused development.

Historic estates already offer many of the qualities people seek from wellness environments. Calm. Continuity. A deep sense of place. When treated with respect, they do not need to be reinvented.

While my next project will be very different in design, the core principles remain unchanged.

Renovating a Scottish estate and turning it into a successful business taught me patience, clarity, and long-term thinking. Those principles now sit at the core of how I evaluate and develop future projects.

This experience underpins how I approach heritage-led wellness development today.