Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1543791
C O U R T E S Y O F TAY M O U T H C A S T L E , A D I S C OV E R Y L A N D C O M M U N I T Y simply its scale. Wandering, as Bingham puts it, is almost an offering in itself. "Admittedly, I did 37 trips there in four years," she says, "and it took me six months to stop getting lost." In some spaces, restoration meant reunification. Outfitting the private dining room, became a kind of historical detective story: Bingham worked with an antiques dealer to track down 22 chairs that belonged to Queen Victoria's original dining table, which had been sold off and scattered across Scotland. Once recovered, they were reupholstered in blue leather and embossed with a dragon crest, an echo of the castle's heraldic past. Elsewhere, the interventions are more atmospheric. In the main bar, a backlit onyx counter glows beneath a decadent chandelier, while velvet walls and a hand-painted ceiling preserve the richness of traditional décor. Throughout, Bingham's approach is one of restraint. Her design choices amplify the building rather than compete with it. "Working at this scale demands discipline," she says. "Every decision must respect the architecture, the craftsmanship, and the narrative." Some of the most meaningful details, in fact, are nearly invisible. When Queen Victoria and Prince Albert stayed at Taymouth Castle, they each planted trees there—oak and Scots pine—three of which still stand on the grounds today. In the reception area, a triptych of plaster panels behind the desk carries a subtle tree motif. Most guests will never realize the reference, but that quiet continuity is precisely the point. "For me, the success of a project like this lies in connection," says Bingham. "When history, craftsmanship, and contemporary life feel seamlessly linked, the building begins to live again." Taymouth Castle is not simply a castle restored, but a landscape reclaimed. With opportunities for around 145 members to build homes on the grounds, the next era is unfolding not as a relic of the past, but as a private world of modern ritual, comfort, and continuity. "The goal was never to modernize Tay mouth, but to allow it to function beautifully again—to feel warm, coherent, and, of course, luxurious." —K ATE BINGHA M FROM TOP It took a year to repair the scaffolding surrounding the castle's central staircase; in the summer, guests are able to enjoy fishing and watersports; Glen Lyon, the on-property sporting facility BALHAR B O U RSH O P S .CO M