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INTERIOR DESIGNER KATHARINE POOLEY LOVES ESCAPING TO HER CASTLE HOME IN THE PEACEFUL PERTHSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE
Where do you live and what do you love most about it? I divide my time between London, Oxfordshire and Scotland, but my heart lies north of the border. In the 1990s my father bought Forter Castle, which dates back to 1560, and spent a couple of years renovating it using traditional materials, creating a wonderful family home. Then I took over and designed the interior. It was quite a challenge - there are five floors, each reached by a ctonc spiral staircase. We had to saw the beds in half to get, them in. Describe your perfect country home. This Is pretty much it. I like the remoteness of Forter - it is half an hour to the nearest shop along a winding road with plenty of sheep and not much else. The children adore the dungeons and turrets. Occasionally, we rent the castle out and weve had weddings here. It feels homely. There are flagstones, wool rugs and, of course, our family tartan. What do you like most about living in the country? Theres no internet, no phone and no TV here, so it really is a retreat. I enjoy the peace ar.d solitude, and the scenery is stunning. In the morning when you wake up, the only noises you hear are the lambs. Where do you find your design inspiration? What I get at Forter is the chance to switch off and be creative. I sit in the great hall and read a book, or I.ove baking cakes. Having the luxury of this downtime inspires me, plus of course the wonderful surroundings. But my passion is travel, so I get my inspiration from lots of other places and not just Scotland What is your favourite local shop? I love browsing at The House o; Bruar near Blair Castle. It has all the local produce you could possibly desire under one roof - from cashmere and tweeds to haggis and wild game. There are also fantastic antiques shops in Pitlochry. I got most of the antiques for Forter at Georgian Antiques in Edinburgh. What is your earliest country memory? I was bom in Hertfordshire in a village called Selden near TYing, but we always took our holidays in Scotland. We would go skiing in Glenshee and on hiking holidays in the summer.

My kind of country

I was one of six children and it was such fun - we loved outdoorsy pursuits such as rounders and had lots of barbecues. I think the best holidays are the ones when you go camping and get back to basics with bike rides and trips to the local pub. The simple things in life are so lovely. Describe your perfect weekend. I visit Forter as often as possible with my husband Dan, our baby Jack, whos 18 months old, and our dogs Piglet, Shaka and Bagheera. The countryside there is beautiful at this time of the year, with the wonderful orange - coloured leaves. I always celebrate the seasons and. with Halloween just round the corner, "Jie whole family will be getting together to cook lamb on a spit in the fireplace. Well sip ginger wine v/hile playing games - its so cosy. What is your favourite seasonal food and how do you cook it? This part of Scotland is rich in delicious produce. Once a year, we have a family gathering and a chef from Pitlochry called John Ramsey comes to cook dinner using local ingredients. Its such a treat. Well have cock - a - leekie or smoked salmon to start, then Angus beef or local fish such as salmon, followed by lavender and honey ice cream. At this time of year, I also love to eat hearty food like a home - cooked roast dinner with lamb, poik or beef and lots of seasonal vegetables. What is your favourite food destination? Dan and I play golf and as a treat afterwards we go for tea at the Dulmunzie Castle Hotel in Glenshee. It is famous for its delicious scones and also a good place to eat out in the evening. I couldnt live without... Apart from sugar, Jack, Dan and my dogs.
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