Lundies House: Guesthouse in Sutherland

A 17th century mansion transformed into a guesthouse, Lundies House is a chic Scandi-Scot retreat.

A Scandi-Scot retreat in the Highlands

Lundies House is located near the rural village of Tongue, in Sutherland, at the extreme north-western tip of the Scottish Highlands, a remote and wild region.

Lundies is a guesthouse of a very special kind. Originally an old manor house built in 1842, it was renovated over a period of two years by Anne and her husband, businessman Anders Holch Povlsen (Scotland’s largest private landowners). Lundies house takes its name from its former occupant, Minister Lundy.

To have the mansion transformed into a guesthouse with Scandi-Scot interiors, the couple called on Ruth Kramer, Wildand’s interior architect and in-house designer, along with Edinburgh-based Groves-Raines Architects. The decoration is a blend of Scottish and contemporary Scandinavian design for the main building and its two outbuildings.

The house has 3 bedrooms located on the second floor, painted in neutral color tones. On the top floor, under the attic, the Flora studio is a private apartment with Danish furniture and a free-standing bathtub. One of the outbuildings has been converted into 3 separate studios, with a minimalist and modern decor, finished with natural materials, such as exposed brick walls, speckled stone floors, and wooden carpentry. There is also the independent Bothan suite on two floors, which includes 2 bedrooms.

The first floor of the house, whose flagstone floors and crown moldings on the ceiling have been preserved, accommodates a comfortable living room. In the dining room, a mural fresco by the French artist Claire Basler, depicts herbs and wild flowers on a dense gray sky. For the table d’hôtes, the chef James Wilson proposes a simple cuisine made with local products.

Lundies House is not a classic guest house, it is a soothing place that invites travelers to enjoy their time away in a relaxing setting.