The Carnegie Club: The Heart of the Highlands

It is essential to occasionally switch off and return to a simpler way of life. Where better to do so than at the Carnegie Club, Scotland’s most exclusive private members club? Located within the hallowed halls of Skibo Castle in the Highlands – the former residence of eponymous American industrialist Andrew Carnegie – the club offers a spectacular setting in which to unwind, spread across eight thousand acres of Sutherland County’s finest landscapes and wildlife.

Since opening its doors to members over three decades, the Carnegie Club has cemented its coveted spot amongst competitors. The earliest structure at Skibo Castle dates back to the 13th century, but most of what remains is from the turn of the 20th century, when Andrew Carnegie and his wife decided to rebuild their dream home after a prolonged stint in New York. Following the birth of their daughter Margaret in 1897, they took up a year’s lease on Skibo Castle to reconnect with his homeland. Despite the castle’s state of disrepair, its potential wasn’t lost on the Carnegies, and after purchasing the property in 1898, they completely remodelled it; adding the steel-framed, glass-paned indoor swimming pool, Turkish baths, and a nine-hole golf course. The castle itself was tripled in size and embellished with grand towers, turrets and intricate stonework, transforming it into a beautiful example of Scottish Baronial design. 

Once completed, Skibo became the Carnegies’ summer residence, with the family arriving from New York at the end of May before returning in September. During these sojourns, the castle doors were flung open to the world’s great and good, becoming one rolling house party. The likes of Rudyard Kipling, Booker T. Washington, President Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Asquith and Helen Keller were regulars, receiving a morning welcome of bagpipes before settling down to breakfast and the many activities on offer across the estate. Every evening, Carnegie would curate the seating arrangements, mixing said names with locals from his native Dunfermline.

The family were on the estate when world war I was declared in August 1914, sadly never to return after departing for the US where Carnegie’s health declined and he succumbed to pneumonia in 1919. Skibo Castle remained in the family until 1982 when it was bought and restored by Peter de Savary, who officially founded the Carnegie Club. He subsequently sold it in 2003 to businessman Ellis Short, who further refurbished the property and created the club as it stands today.

So, what exactly is the Carnegie Club?

“It’s hard to encapsulate in a coherent response,” says Gary Gruber, the club’s managing director. “I think the environment resembles more of an Edwardian house party as opposed to a fancy hotel, or to some extent, many other country estates. And I think that's because of the history that is behind the club. Here, nothing's difficult, nothing staged, nothing's hard. It's just typical, traditional Highland hospitality for a worldwide audience in the grandeur of Andrew Carnegie's former home.

“We do like to keep things relatively simple. In a complicated, busy, dynamic world where there's often key cards and an awful lot of technology anywhere and everywhere, we feel it just offers a degree of tranquility that is perhaps a little bit more challenging to find with every day, week and month that passes.”

I visited the club on a cold weekend in December. Its secluded appeal unfurls as you drive through the manicured grounds and witness the castle emerging before you, cushioned by acres of land. Inside is an equally majestic affair; all lashings of dark wood and stained glass adorning a grand staircase that greets you as you enter through the heavy front doors. 

Many of the traditions inaugurated by Carnegie continue to be upheld in his honour. Guests are woken at 8am to bagpipes, followed by an organist who plays in the hall as you descend to breakfast, served in the original breakfast room. Myriad activities can be booked: from shooting, swimming, boating, and falconry. Alternatively, you can relax within the castle’s sumptuous walls, including Carnegie’s personal study containing its original artifacts. A fan favourite is the hosted dinner on Saturday evenings, replete with yet more bagpipes that usher guests to Carnegie’s dining room, where you eat at the same oak table that hosted the likes of Kipling and Wilson over a century ago. 

The Carnegie Club’s reverence for tradition is what arguably makes the experience so special. “In a world that's changing, the job is, in some ways, to make it feel like nothing's changed,” Gruber elaborates. “We will do new things; we will explore interesting, new elements that we can add to the club, but the core is so precious. My job is to make sure that while everything is changing, we still accommodate that.”