Mount Stuart Isle of Bute The Stuarts of Bute came to Scotland in the 11th century but the neo-Gothic house dates
Mount Stuart, Isle of Bute The Stuarts of Bute came to Scotland in the 11th century but the neo-Gothic house dates from the 19th century. It’s the home of the current Marquess of Bute, better known as the racing driver Johnny Dumfries.Best celebrity momentStella McCartney married Alasdhair Willis here in 2003 in a large wedding to which Kate Moss, Liv Tyler, Madonna and Stella’s dad were invited.Fairytale or cautionary tale?Being married at Mount Stuart is like possessing an entire island for the weekend: the ultimate in regal decadence. Three hundred acres of land include the Wee Gardens, which, at five acres, are anything but. There is nothing attractive, though, about a bride who’s bitten to death by midges.For richer – or poorer?Being a close friend of the family helps (and may earn a discount) Prices for Joe Public weddings are currently not available. In other words, if you’re asking how much, it’s probably not for you. Hopetoun House, West Lothian Set on the banks of the river Forth, just north of Edinburgh, Hopetoun House is one of the finest examples of Georgian architecture anywhere.
The ballroom, hung with huge crystal chandeliers, warmed by a log fire, and featuring Aubusson tapestries, is just about the grandest place on earth to hold a knees-up.For richer – or poorer?Hopetoun House are currently unwilling to disclose costs for weddings, as “every wedding at Hopetoun is unique”. Set in 150 acres, complete with deer park and views over the Forth, it is the perfect setting for an sundown swig of champagne But the real treasures lie inside. The management of the house has been passed to a charitable trust in order to fund the continual renovation which is needed, but the present Marquess and his family still live there.Best celebrity momentRumour has it that Liam Gallagher and Nicole Appleton are scoping out the joint for their forthcoming wedding.Fairytale or cautionary tale?Hopetoun expects to hold no more than six weddings a year, making it exclusive. Built in 1699, the house has been home to the Earls of Hopetoun (now the Marquesses of Linlithgow) ever since. Throw in celebrity performers such as Charlotte Church, designer goodie bags for all the guests plus the obligatory champagne and the happy couple may beat the £500,000 spent by Posh and Becks. The footballer Thierry Henry also held his wedding at this Berkshire stately home.Fairytale or cautionary tale?Heathrow is nearby, and Highclere has a VIP transport service, so the international glitterati who will be attending the Katie Price/Andr?uptials can arrive in style.
The drive to the front door is a mile and a half, which is just as well – the bride says she wants a wedding train longer than Diana, Princess of Wales’s. Outside, there are plenty of groves and follies in which the ITV documentary team, who have exclusive TV rights, can relax.For richer – or poorer?It can cost £10,000 just to hire the castle, although this sum will be the tip of the iceberg. The current earl is said to be strapped for cash, hence his willingness to throw his doors open to minor celebs.Best celebrity momentJordan and Peter Andr?re planning the most extravagant celebrity wedding ever at Highclere in September. Highclere Castle, Berkshire Highclere, owned by the earls of Carnarvon, has a rich history. The fifth earl was a notable Egyptologist, who reputedly fell victim to the curse of the pharoahs: he was responsible in part for discovering the tomb of Tutankhamun. The most recent baronet, John Leslie, who is in his 80s, was famously nonplussed by Sir Paul McCartney’s lavish wedding – he told a shopkeeper in the local village of Glaslough: “Oh, I think it must be one of those Beatles.”Best celebrity momentPaul McCartney and Heather Mills held their wedding at Castle Leslie, which featured a vegetarian banquet, £1,000 worth of cake icing, and Ringo Starr.Fairytale or cautionary tale?The eccentric owner comes as part of the package, and will happily take guests on a tree walk, or for a fishing excursion in his pike lake.For richer – or poorer?Total exclusivity costs in the region of £11,500 for the night.
Ask Madonna, whose bank account took a £120,000 hit when she booked the 47 rooms for her guests. Castle Leslie, Glaslough, Ireland The Leslies are an endearingly dotty bunch of Irish aristos who claim to be able to trace their ancestry “back to Attila the Hun”. Ashley Judd and racing driver Dario Franchitti quickly followed suit.Fairytale or cautionary tale?Like all good castles, it’s pretty easy to defend. Not one unauthorised picture emerged of Madonna’s wedding, so high was the level of security. The castle is set in 7,500 acres, and for those wishing to impress their friends with their grasp of olde-worlde pursuits, falconry and archery are both on offer.For richer – or poorer?All wedding parties at Skibo are obliged to stay overnight at the castle, so the costs can mount up. At the turn of the century, the world’s richest man, Andrew Carnegie, made Skibo his home, although he too was a relative newcomer – the first owner of Skibo was Bishop Gilbert in 1235.
Best celebrity momentThe marriage of Madonna and Guy Ritchie, natch. Skibo Castle, Sutherland
Owned until very recently by Peter de Savary, but he grew tired of life amongst the midges and traded in this highland treasure for the more downbeat Bovey Castle.
He was often in the front line of the Troubles and he experienced violence at first-hand from both sides.”His long-time political opponent, the Rev Ian Paisley, expressed sadness at the news of his death, saying he was very sorry and extended sincere sympathy to his family.A Unionist political foe, Lord Kilclooney, described him as a wonderful character, adding: “Some politicians you cannot trust, but with Gerry you could always trust him.”. But in the end he also became a critic of more moderate Irish nationalism, denouncing his own party.His opposition to republicanism eventually cost him the west Belfast Westminster seat he had held for many years; in 1983 it was captured by the Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams, who still holds it today.A former Irish premier, Garret FitzGerald, said: “He was great fun, a really entertaining person to work with, but you never knew what was the next thing he was going to say or do.”The Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, said: “He was a man who practised the message of moderation and tolerance that he courageously preached. Ismail Merchant’s sudden death in May sparked a curiously selective revisiting of the longest partnership in cinematic history. The team of Merchant as producer, director James Ivory and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala is, to some, a byword for innocuous costume drama: at best summed up by Alan Parker’s gibe at a “Laura Ashley” school of film-making, at worst collusive in the hierarchies and snobberies it emblazons in seductive colour. Yet I grew up with Merchant Ivory’s delicately subversive vision of post-Raj India, taken to see my aunt – one of their stalwart actors, Madhur Jaffrey – in films such as Shakespeare Wallah and Autobiography of a Princess. Later, I found in them an antidote to the dubious nostalgia of the “Raj revival” in 1980s Britain. Even Heat and Dust, based on Jhabvala’s Booker-winning novel, was subtly at odds with the vogue it led.
These conversations with Ivory, completed before Merchant’s death, group his features over 44 years by setting.
