House of Schivas, Ythanbank
We are excited to offer a new destination to the 2019 tours, House of Schivas. The house is tucked away far off the beaten path and the journey to the estate is part of the experience. The house is a real peek into the lives of people who live in a country mansion and the challenges they face in maintaining and estate such as this. Hear about the exciting plans for the future and stories of the family who still call it home.
Walled Garden
Once you’ve navigated the narrow and twisty roads to the house, you drive past an impressive walled garden. The garden is planted with ornamental borders and includes a large selection of fruit trees. Although we’ve visited in Winter, the bones of the garden give you an insight into the splendor it will be during Spring and Summer.
Further down the drive you see House of Schivas. The original part of the building dates back to around 1590. The house has been extended on several occasions through out the last 200 years. Although it is officially called a “House” the style of the building is that of a miniature castle and several of architectural features support this impression. The house remains in private ownership and the Catto family lived in the property until just a few years ago.
Exclusive Tour
The tour at House of Schivas is unique because it isn’t generally open to the public. Each tour is private and conducted by the property manager. You can sit around the fire in the family room and hear about the stories of the families who have lived on the estate, the history of the building and the challenges of owning and running an estate in the 21st century. The rooms at Schivas have a homely feel and are not show pieces and contain family furnishings for you to experience what it could be like to be “to the Manor born”.
All good houses of this era have stories of intrigue and ghosts who continue to live at Schivas. For a look behind the scenes of what stately living is really like, you won’t do better than House of Schivas.
Update: July 2020
We no longer visit House of Schivas on our scheduled tours, we can arrange a private tour for anyone interested in visiting this interesting property. For enquiries please contact us.
