Cambo Estate: protecting the past and looking to the future

Finding a venue that offers elegant, historic accommodation in the Scottish countryside for a large group, might feel like a daunting task – but there’s a country house in Fife that could hit the spot.

The Erskine family’s home since 1670, Cambo House, on the Cambo Estate is set in ancient woodlands, close to a two-mile stretch of sandy beach.  A distillery and golf course are nearby too. 

The house is available to hire, for up to 37 guests, across 18 bedrooms, comprising five suites and four guest wings – and while they are tailored to modern-day requirements, the past is never far away.

One of the suites, the Blue Room, was the master bedroom when the house was first planned, centuries ago. The Orchard Suite overlooks parkland featuring a lime tree that’s even older than the house. One of the West Wing’s four bedrooms has a four-poster, carved-oak bed, made from a Dutch altar from around 1520.

Smaller groups and couples are catered for too, with three farm cottages in the grounds, as well as the opportunity to stay ‘off-grid’, in a cabin designed and built by Scottish sustainable travel pioneers, Off Grid Travel.

There’s plenty going on in the estate, which also features a Georgian walled garden, visitor centre, award-winning café and gift shop. It plays host to interactive gardening workshops and other events, including Cambo’s ‘Composted’, which offers gardening talks and workshops in June and July.   

The 200-year-old walled garden recently secured a major investment, through the Cambo Heritage Trust. The £184,498 project will fund essential restoration work, to protect the garden as an important piece of Scotland’s heritage and to ensure it remains a working garden, with a focus on community.

As well the urgent restoration of the historic walls at the garden, the project also focuses on delivering new opportunities for skills development, supporting training for volunteers and, especially, local young people. This includes a programme of stonework skills, which have been taught on the land for centuries.

Catherine Erskine of Cambo Estate: said “This is hugely important for Cambo. The walled garden is at the heart of everything we do, connecting people with nature, heritage and each other.

“Securing this funding allows us not only to protect these beautiful historic walls, but to open new opportunities for learning, skills and community engagement. We are incredibly grateful to all our funders for helping us safeguard this special place for generations to come.”

www.camboestate.com