Cabin Casting Collaboration: Glen Dye Estate, Banchory
After a busy weekend of hosting back to back workshops at the lovely Restoration yard, I packed up my mini casting studio and headed North with excitement as I was off to my next collaborative exchange destination; the magical Glen Dye estate. This was the second collaborative stay I have booked in as part of my casting grand tour of the UK; inspired by my love of Grand Tour intaglio collections. Back in the 18th century small plaster intaglios were amassed by the young aristocratic men on their European travels, which would often be mounted into cases or books and displayed in fashionable interiors back home. These collections acted as souvenirs of a year long adventure in Europe, in addition to being a reminder of the inspiring artworks and decorative pieces they had come across during their travels. So my aim is to undertake my own Grand Tour of the UK this year, create a visual record of the flora and fauna of Britain by capturing a moment in the seasonal life of the landscape around the cabins I am staying in around the country as well as taking some female ownership of a tradition which was almost entirely undertaken by men back in the day.
Casting in front of the Adam Bridgland Artwork, Wake Up Next To People Who Make You Feel Happy
I was already following, and a huge fan, of Glen Dye so when I started to plot out my casting grand tour I knew Glen Dye was one of the first places to contact. I was delighted when Charlie Gladstone replied to my email with a positive yes, and a slightly uncanny draft of a blog post he had been working on inviting artists and makers to stay, create and be inspired by the setting and magic of Glen Dye. It was meant to be! So the wonderful Audrey swiftly booked me in for a couple of nights at The Bothy in April and I had been counting down the days to this creative escape for weeks.
Charlie and Caroline Gladstone are the inspiring couple behind Glen Dye estate, and is just one of an immensely impressive list of creative ventures they head up. The 45 acre estate sits in the rugged Aberdeenshire, overlooked by the mighty Clachnaben and split by the River Dee which flows through the estate. In 1990 they packed up their lives in South London and headed North (with a small baby in tow might I add), to the derelict estate which had been in Charlie’s family since the 1840’s. They duly set out on an ambitious 25 year long renovation of the land and buildings on the estate using their signature style of excellence, comfort and quality. As someone with a possibly romantic view of building and renovating a home for ourselves in Fife one day, I am hugely inspired by the graft, grit and determination of Charlie and Caroline and in awe of what they have achieved at Glen Dye. The impeccably stylish accommodation offerings available at Glen Dye today are clearly the handiwork of people with an eye for detail, colour, quirkiness. They have created spaces that offer a cosy, home from home vibe with the well balanced arrangement of ornaments, artful clutter, pattern and colour. Charlie outlines his original intention here, “We knew that we wanted to do things really well, to be world class; original, unusual, beautiful, comfortable”; an intent they have absolutely achieved in my opinion.
Adam Bridgland Artwork on the Glen Dye Estate
After picking up a map of Glen Dye from the estate office and a good rifle through the fantastic self serve shop there, which offers delicious home cooked stews, soups and breads as well as culinary store cupboard treats (Perollo olives, local honey ect), I headed over the Old Bridge to my home for the next few days; The Bothy. I was welcomed with beautiful local produce (fudge, tea, coffee and shortbread) and a wee doggie pack for Bean too so we were well stocked in tasty snacks for our stay. The colourful, warm and artful interior of the Bothy made me feel at home immediately and I started to feel the fatigue of a weekend workshopping slip away. Pinto and I headed out for a quick walk to check out the woodlands and nearby Saw Mill, a the brand new Discovery and Adventure centre at Glen Dye with a woodland sauna, outdoor cold water baths filled with water from the River Dee. They offer several guided experiences for guests, from highland cup carving to axe throwing, nordic cold water therapy and evening fireside relaxation sessions. The finishing touches were being added to the site when I was there otherwise I would have been first in that sauna. We returned back to our cosy Bothy, set the record player going and I settled into the delicious green velvet sofa excited to get collecting foliage and casting the next day.
The sun came out in force for our first day so Pinto and I packed a wee picnic (using the fab backpacks and Pendleton travel mug in the Bothy) and headed off for a walk down the Old Military Road in the Glen Dye moors to get immersed in the landscape and start collecting some specimens to work with. It was a beautiful sunny day and we marched all the way to the Charr Bothy for a cuppa and then headed back with pocket fulls of heather, flowering currant, larch, Douglas fir and spruce found in the woodlands and moors. I set up a wee casting station in the courtyard of the Bothy and set about making some miniature intaglios. Mum and her wee pup Buddy arrived later that afternoon and we headed back along the estate paths, out past the wonderful artwork by Adam Bridgland which welcomes you spectacularly to the moorlands from the Glen Dye gates and onto a swimming spot to test our cold water tolerance in the River. It was most certainly refreshing, colder than the East Coast seas, but exhilarating. Mum was on camera duty so I had her snapping pics as I set about creating some more works in the evening sunshine, before settling down to a delicious dinner from the estate shop and a bottle of bubbles. We decided to climb Clacnhaben, famous for the magnificent granite tower on its peak, the next day and after a morning casting session we packed our bags, snacks and swimwear and headed for the hills. Its a fairly steep climb and the passing waves of hail, wind and rain made for an experiential hike (added to by Pinto starting to limp about 1/3 of the way up and me carrying him for the remainder of the 4 hours walk….) but the views from the summit were worth it.
After heading back via our new favourite swimming spot, mum set off back to Fife and I spent another lovely evening pottering around in the courtyard making some more casts. In the evening I curled up with Freya Bromley’s book, The Tidal Year, which she had left in the cottage after spending a few days in The Bothy as part of her own stay at Glen Dye. It is a beautifully written, poignant account of grief, loss and sisterhood as well as the healing power of wild swimming. I loved it and highly recommend getting yourself a copy. Inspired by Freya’s wild swimming bravery I decided to end my stay with an early morning swim and set my alarm for 6:30 so I could head out to the River Dee swimming spot and have a plunge before I tidied, packed and prepped to head home. It was an icy morning with frost on the ground so it did take some courage to get in the water but, as they say, you never regret a swim and as I sat wrapped in my dry robe slurping hot coffee and looking out at the sun slowly rising over the moorlands I felt energised and thankful for this special time at Glen Dye.
After packing up my casting kit, carefully wrapping the miniatures and delivering the large larch piece I had made for Caroline and Charlie to thank them for my stay, I hit the road back to Edinburgh with a full heart and a new set of intaglios to add to my collection: Powys and Banchory ticked off my grand tour list.
I truly can’t recommend a stay at Glen Dye more highly, they have a range of accommodation offerings to suit all budgets including B&B at the Coach House and more recently, a campsite. They also host spectacular weddings, for which you can rent accommodation for guests and take over the whole estate and party on down in the BYOB pub on the estate, or have a post wedding chill in the Glen Dye private cinema. They also host corporate retreats and a range of experiences you can book onto without staying, I am definitely going to head back soon and try the Woodland Sauna out. A huge thanks to Charlie, Caroline and Audrey for having me to stay - it is a very special place indeed.
