There is something magical about being able to enjoy the luxury of a 5-star hotel as if it were your own home. Surrounded in lavish décor, being treated like royalty while relaxed enough to sit back in an armchair, feet up, with a morning paper without a worry in the world. This is exactly what you’ll find in Scotland’s Turin Castle. To find out more about the experience, Beau Monde Traveler interviewed the castle’s leading lady, Yvonne Corbett.

In the middle of beautiful Scottish countryside, stands the majestic Turin Castle. The castle was built in 1659 on a Lochside, but was re-located in 1907 to its current location. It is situated in 20 acres of rolling Scottish countryside between Edinburgh and Aberdeen. Everything about Turin Castle oozes Scottish culture and authenticity; from every brick in the castle, to every mouthful at mealtimes, and every glimpse of the green landscape.

The rooms of the castle are beautifully decorated, radiating with warming candles and scented by freshly-picked flowers. The Macallan Suite is a chef-d’oeuvre with its noble décor. The master bathroom has a jacuzzi that makes it feel like a personal spa. This suite resonates extravagance, as do the Balvenie, Glenfiddich and seven other suites. Despite the age of the castle, all of the ten suites combine Scottish history with modern, deluxe fashion, and have lovely views of Scottish countryside.

Seated in the dining hall of the castle, guests will experience cuisine well beyond deep-fried Mars Bars and Haggis. Dishes served include lobster and fish, freshly caught from Scottish shores, accompanied with luscious greens.

The castle is a joy to explore and then find a space to relax in with lounges, a conservatory, a library, a music room, a games room and the Ogilvy Bar. The Tartan Lounge is decked out with authentic Scottish ornamentation as tartan fabric covers the walls making this room a cosy escape to sit by the fire with a whiskey in hand. Instead of having a traditional spa, Turin Castle makes the most of Scotland’s hidden treasures, and takes guests for a natural ice-bath in Lochs. There are even yoga sessions provided by the Castle’s kilted yoga instructor. As even the yoga is made Scottish as it is taught in a kilt, it shows how Turin Castle is proud to show off its Scottish heritage at every opportunity.

The icon behind the success of Turin castle is Yvonne Corbett, the castle’s owner. After 23 years of travelling the world, living in various cities across Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Yvonne and her husband were looking to buy a castle together. With little knowledge of the castle, or whether their dream of running the castle would turn into a complete disaster, they decided on Turin. Standing outside the main door, key in hand, she experienced ‘one of the happiest moments of her life’.

Yvonne’s love of Scotland is generated by its “clean air, sky full of stars, and green grass”, as it was often only when she had been away for long periods of time that she came home to appreciate the simple beauty of Scotland. Turin Castle has been every success she could have ever hoped for, and in the near future Yvonne will even be welcoming a number of Oscar nominees to the castle.

When asked how running Turin Castle has been, Yvonne’s immediate response was that it was tough, even though it is a “dream come true”. Initially the plan was to host weddings at the castle, having guests for shorter stays, but after one client booked the castle for 20 days, it changed everything. Spending so much time with one client revealed to Yvonne that the genuine appeal of the hospitality industry was the interaction with clients, by welcoming them with a stay that is personal, memorable and unique.

Yvonne began organising activities for guests at the castle. She sends guests off hiking to the sound of The Pretenders’ 500 Miles and offers golf, hunting, fishing, whiskey tours and plenty more. However, her work did not stop there, as she wanted to ensure the castle was not “just a bed”, or “somewhere to sleep for the night”. It was her ambition to make the castle such a welcoming place for every guest that, even when they were galivanting around the rolling hills of Scotland on one adventure or another, they still looked forward to “coming home” to Turin Castle.

The important thing to note in Yvonne’s work is that she places all of her attention on personal touches. Yvonne’s creative ‘thinking-outside-the-box’ has meant that when guests return from an outdoor excursion, she always has something up her sleeve to surprise them with. For one guest, who was particularly taken by the Turin-branded whiskey glasses, Yvonne had crystal tumblers made for the entire party of guests to keep as an intimate memory of their time at Turin.

It is clear that, no matter where guests have come from, they are welcomed into the castle for a visit that is entirely tailored to their own fancies. Turin Castle is so much more than a castle, simply providing a bed for the night. It is one of Scotland’s most unmissable and authentic holidays.