Culdees Castle in Crieff has been taken off the Buildings at Risk register thanks to the hard work and dedication of its owners.
Tracey Horton and Rob Beaton bought what was then a crumbling structure in 2019.
And, determined to bring the Muthill castle back to life, the couple are working tirelessly to restore the historic building to its former glory, allowing it to prosper in the future.
They’ve come a long way since taking over what was essentially a shell filled with the castle’s floors and ceilings collapsing in on themselves, but from the first gruelling job of removing the ivy and shrubbery that shrouded the castle, the couple haven’t looked back.
Early on Tracey established a ‘glamping’ site within the grounds to help pay for the renovations with the ultimate aim of providing a unique wedding venue.
And last month they won the accolade for Best Holiday Accommodation at the Scotland’s Business Awards.
Tracey said: “We attended the regional finals in Dundee and were delighted to win that.
“Then we went to the Scottish finals in Glasgow, and to win that as well was a huge shock.
“We are truly humbled by all of the kind words and support for our business and the fact that it is voted for independently by our guests means the world to us.
“We have worked so hard to make the site something special. The income from the site goes straight back into the castle renovation so its success is vital to our project.
“We couldn’t be happier about winning and can’t thank our supporters enough.”
As well as having an Airbnb Super Host badge, Culdees also rates in the top 10 ‘glamping’ sites in Scotland by HipCamp and Cool Camping and has been voted Best Historic Wedding Venue in Central Scotland at the Global Wedding Awards.
But 2022 will be particularly memorable for other reasons as well.
This year, progress on the castle was captured by Channel 4 cameras for the show Renovation Nation, with producers planning a follow up one-off episode solely featuring the couple’s journey in January.
And the programme is even more special as the cameras captured the moment Rob proposed to Tracey.
She continued: “Seeing yourself on the TV planner was surreal. We watched the show for the first time from behind a cushion. It was really nerve racking which I didn’t expect after being behind the camera for the past nine months.
“The proposal was a complete shock at the time and I was thankful that it was captured on film as it was all such a blur. I’m impressed though – it was very romantic and very special.”
Hands-on owners Tracey and Rob do much of the work themselves but Tracey reckons they have spent over £1.5 million on the renovations so far.
She said: “I’m too scared to ask the accountant the actual figure - we just keep doing what we do when we can but I don’t think we have ever been so poor.
“I think we have exceeded our expectations and some, but couldn’t have got this far without support from friends and family who have been awesome.”
As well as saving the castle from being at risk, Tracey and Rob are beginning to see their labours paying off now that some of the floors and ceilings have been restored and interior rooms are taking shape.
They have already hosted some destination weddings for happy couples, especially since bringing the courtyard back to life and creating a bar area.
The race is now on to have the chapel within the castle restored in time for their own wedding. When they took over, tonnes of rubble and debris had to be removed so Tracey is delighted to finally have a floor they can walk on in the east wing.
“We really couldn’t be prouder that the castle is now off the register,” she declared. “The satisfaction is something money can’t buy or explain. The knowledge that we are writing the castle’s new history is an immense feeling.
“We are at the stage of me buying paint and furnishings for the second floor, which is amazing. The ground floor and two further floors up have now been fitted with new floors and walls. Everything has gone back where it once was so to see the structure of the castle taking shape is fantastic.”
By the time of their wedding, Tracey and Rob also hope to have in operation three bathrooms, a courtyard, a whisky snug, a champagne bar, a photo booth dungeon, bridal salon and honeymoon suite and, of course, the chapel, among other rooms.
Tracey added: “Everything is on track for our wedding next summer.
“We will be the first to get married in the restored chapel with its romantic, starlight ceiling and original stone archways and stained glass windows.
“We will also have the magical Puck’s Bar for our guests, which is accessed by a fairylight-lit woodland walkway, and our grand bridal suites.
“Nature, magic and romance is what we are all about.”
