SKIBO
CASTLE MEMBERSHIP NEARLY FULL, A LIVING MEMORY TO
PHILANTHROPIST ANDREW CARNEGIE
By Michael Hepworth
At the turn of the century in 1900 Andrew Carnegie,
the celebrated steel magnate and philanthropist was the richest man in the
world and worth about $850 million. In the subsequent years he gave most
of it away, but he still managed to buy and develop
Skibo
Castle
in the Highlands of Scotland, famous most recently for hosting the high
profile wedding of Madonna, as well as that of Ashley Judd. The Castle,
which is situated in 7,500 acres of impressive looking Scottish scenery,
is located in Sutherland, a few miles from the village of Dornoch, famous
not only for the visit of Madonna to the local church, but also as being
the site of the Witches Stone. That is where one of the last witches in
Scotland
was put to death.
A recent overnight visit to the Castle at a time when
the notoriously unpredictable weather was on its best behavior, confirmed
that this exquisite place just has to become one of my regular hangouts.
It is now a private club, a very exclusive one of course that will be
closing the doors on new members in March 2007, once the magical 500
number has been reached. After that you will have to go on a waiting list
before paying the $37,000 application fee. If you are not a member,
you can still visit as the guest of a member and pay the $1800 per night
(all inclusive) rate before deciding to become a member yourself. Managing
Director Peter Crome, a giant of a man with a giant personality joined
Skibo from the
Savoy
and Chewton Glen, where he spent a very fruitful ten years, and his
dedication to high standards makes him a perfect choice for the estate.
Aside from hanging out in the castle itself and
taking advantage of the superb library, there is a championship golf
course, and a host of outdoor activities including a giant indoor swimming
pool that is currently being completely refurbished. Fishing for salmon or
trout on Loch Ospisdale is another favorite pastime for guests. The
original castle was built by Gilbert de Moravia, the Bishop of Caithness
in the 13th century, but it has been a private home since 1545.
Carnegie purchased the property in 1898, spent a fortune on improvements,
and today the castle is adorned with pictures, personal possessions and
everything connected with him, in the great hall and all the 21 bedrooms.
Carnegie was born in
Dunfermline
,
Scotland
, the son of a weaver who emigrated to
Pittsburgh
in 1848 when he was twelve. He quickly found work as a bobbin boy at a
cotton factory. and by 1865 at the end of the American Civil War, Carnegie
was known as the ‘Steel King’ of
America
. He also made a fortune from investing in sleeping railway cars, as well
as iron works, steamers, railroads and oil wells.
In 1887 he married Louise Whitfield and brought his
wife back to
Scotland
for the honeymoon. They returned every year and when his only child
Margaret was born he decided to buy Skibo, which came with a 20,000 acre
estate for the princely sum of $158,000. He spent an additional $4 million
on improvements, employing the finest artisans in
Scotland
. That included the finest plumbing available at that time, and the
magnificent carved oak staircase and the five stained-glass windows on the
half landing. The interior today has changed very little since
Carnegie’s time in a very elegant Edwardian style. After
purchasing Skibo, he used it as his haven for planning his way of dealing
with the pressing issues of education, international trade and
philanthropy. He was often heard to comment, “the man who dies rich,
dies disgraced.” He established numerous trusts, and set up over 3,000
libraries, and perhaps his most significant contribution was the donation
of $1.85 million to construct the
Peace
Palace
in
The Hague
.
Today the rules of the castle are exactly as Carnegie
had them in his day, non-existent. Carnegie was also a great entertainer,
and some of the famous visitors who made it up to his retreat and stayed
included Rudyard Kipling, John D.Rockefeller, William Gladstone, Lloyd
George and King George V11. Each day started with a lone piper in full
Highland
dress circling the house to wake people up, and that tradition continues
unabated. Breakfast was and still is served with the pipe organ in the
great hall, and guests would be given a bone spoon embossed with
‘Skibo’ in silver-only if they finished their porridge. After
Carnegie’s death in 1919, his wife and daughter spent their summers at
Skibo, and Margaret kept ownership until 1981 when she took the decision
to sell the estate, with the proceeds going to the charitable trusts set
up by her father.
Today the formal dining room is still the centerpiece
of the social activity, where members and guests dine together in a formal
setting comfortably separated from the inclement weather outside. There is
also less formal dining in the library and in Mrs. Carnegie’s dining
room, and I have now have just realized why every clock I saw in the place
never had the right time. Time is of little importance at Skibo, as the
idea is to envelop every visitor in a feeling of peace and tranquility.
Surprisingly for such an exclusive place, Skibo has gone out of its way to
cater towards children with the creation of the Children’s Barn. This
allows the youngsters to explore the estate’s grounds, and if the
weather is bad enjoy a host of activities in the barn. They get to earn
badges in four categories: nature, creative, challenge and sport. This
also includes archery, cycling, falconry, and for the harder to please
kids, there are arcade games, a music system and air hockey. Closest
airport is
Inverness
and private jets can also land there. Transfer can be arranged by one of
Skibo’s famous chauffeur driven range rovers or by helicopter. A sleeper
rail service runs daily from
London
to
Inverness
, and by car, Skibo is an enjoyable 3 ˝ drive from Edinburgh or Glasgow.
Fact Sheet
Carnegie Club at Skibo
011-44-1862-894-600
011-44-1862-894-601-Fax
www.carnegieclub.co.uk
Email: skibo@carnegieclubs.com
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