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Celebrating 100 years of Mrs Betty Fraser Harris

Meet Mrs Betty Fraser Harris, one of our lovely guests who recently visited Shieldhill Castle to celebrate her 100th Birthday. Mrs Harris shared lovely stories with us that day, and we asked her son if it would be okay for us share her wonderful story with you.

Mrs Harris was born (in 1922!) and brought up in a townhouse in Moray Place in Edinburgh, spending most summer holidays in the hills around Broughton and the head-waters of the Tweed. During the war she trained as a physiotherapist and worked in Edinburgh and later at Stoke Mandeville Hospital where she worked under Dr Guttmann the founder of what eventually became the Paralympic Games. Soon after she went to visit some family friends who were living in Abyssinia (Ethiopia) where she met her husband who was working there as an army officer. Soon after they were married at West Linton Kirk and Baddinsgill.

For the next decade they lived where the army sent them – Malaya and Germany and the UK – in the meantime having 2 sons – one of whom now lives in Symington and the other in Somerset.

Tragically her husband died in 1963 and she came to live in a hidden gem of a house in the Pentland hills beyond Dolphinton, where thanks to a team of friends and carers, she still lives.

When Mrs Harris takes something up she likes to do it well according to her son, so although she started with the normal Blackface it was not long before she was breeding pedigree Shetland sheep and ended up with the Best in Breed Champion Shetland ram in the Royal Highland Show.

Next she learned how to spin and dye the wool produced by her sheep and turn it into beautiful items of clothing before turning her hand to felt-making and quilt-making, resulting in many more artistic creations.

Sadly she has had to retire from production but spends her time enjoying her beautiful garden set among the hills where the Medwin meets the Westwater.

This year she celebrated her 100th birthday and a party had been planned, but unfortunately Covid threw a spanner in the works, as it did to so many people, (with both sons contracting the virus on the same day a week before the party) and the guest list had to be dramatically truncated.

She was extra delighted when Shieldhill Castle kindly welcomed her to her absolute favourite treat: extra-chocolatey chocolate cake and coffee. “The friendly staff made her feel like royalty and gave her a real buzz.” said her son.

We were thrilled to have met Mrs Harris, and be a part of her special celebrations. We wish her all the health and happiness and hope to see her for her 101th birthday.

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Biggar Little Festival

Biggar Little Festival is back, bigger and better than ever before with an exciting 20th Anniversary programme.

Shieldhill Castle are excited to announce that we are taking part this year. We have partnered up with local artists Kirsten Harris Art and Sam Glendinnig from The Alchemist’s Forge for an Exhibition and workshops.

We are showcasing Kirsten’s stunning paintings on the castle walls, which are also available for purchase, alongside an exhibition of beautiful silver jewellery by The Alchemist’s Forge. Both artists are offering workshops at Shieldhill Castle as part of the Biggar Little Festival events.

The exhibition will take place on Friday 21st October 2022, free entry to all. We look forward to welcoming you at the castle’s first art exhibition. The painting and silversmithing workshops include a lovely lunch at Sheildhill Castle. To buy tickets for the workshops please contact Sam and Kirsten directly.

With more than 70 events over 10 days in October the festival offers comedy, theatre and music headliners and many family and children’s events to enjoy!

You can download the Biggar Little Festival programme by clicking- https://www.biggarlittlefestival.com/…/blf-program-2022…

www.shieldhillcastle.com

www.kirstenharrisart.co.uk

www.thealchemsitsforge.co.uk.

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Shieldhill Castle make the Finals for the Prestige Hotel Awards 2022

Shieldhill Castle are delighted to be attending the Prestige Hotel Awards ceremony at the Crown Plaza Hotel. 

We are so grateful to all those who have voted for Shieldhill Castle and got us to the finals. This is an amazing achievement to get this far already. We have been nominated for Best Castle Hotel, Best Hotel Breakfast, Best Wedding Venue. 

Owner Colin Frame and the Shieldhill Castle family would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to staff, contractors, suppliers and guests. The growth and progress made at Shieldhill Castle has been astonishing, the journey might have not been the easiest but we have got through it and we look to continue learning and bringing the very best service to our guests in the years ahead.

Congratulations to all the other finalists.

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The best fishing throughout Scotland with Alba


At Shieldhill Castle we are pleased to announce that we will be working closely with Alba, Luxury Fishing Holidays to help provide amazing memories when you enjoy some amazing local attractions while you stay at Shieldhill Castle. 

Alba Game Fishing was established in 2004, and are the only company to offer the best fishing throughout Scotland. With a team of 22 professional fishing guides and casting instructors, located in the Borders, Highlands, Speyside, Edinburgh and Aberdeenshire. 


Alba can organise fishing trips for guests on the River Clyde, Tweed and Annan and numerous trout lochs in the area. We offer salmon, trout and pike fishing as well as Grayling fishing all year.


Premium fishing equipment is provided with Alba. We are partnered with Sage, Orvis, Hardy and Patagonia and carry an extensive stock of current fishing tackle from these partners. This will save you the risk of carrying expensive gear to Scotland. We also carry Orvis and Patagonia breathable waders and boots in all sizes for men, women and children.


Transport is provided with Alba in luxury SUVs and for larger groups, Mercedes V Class.


To compliment each trip, Alba can provide gourmet river-side lunches or the option of professional photography using full-frame DSLR cameras and prime lenses. Guests would get memorable images of their fishing experiences shared on Dropbox. 

Your time is precious, and the Alba team understands the importance of creating lasting memories and absolute focus on customer service. 
Be the One that got Away!


To find out more on what Alba can offer you head to the Shieldhill Castle local attractions page and follow the link to their website. 

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Visit Scotland

Now is a  wonderful time to visit Scotland, with temperatures reaching around 13°C and beautiful flowers such as lillies and daffodils in full bloom. It’s nearing the start of summer at Shieldhill Castle and we are really glad that with the lifting of lockdown we will be able to spend this summer with you. Here are just a few of the things to see and do for the perfect  Scottish vacation at Shieldhill Castle with the ones you love. 

Perfect for families or couples, visit the Lanark Loch. 20 acre man-made loch with that is open for fishing, children’s activities, golf and more between May until September. The Inn on the Loch has a 9 hole pitch and putt course, boating pond with bumper boats, course fishing (permit only), children’s play area, trampolines, and a refreshment kiosk.

Or why not visit  the Falls of Clyde Wildlife Reserve, it stretches along both sides of the Clyde gorge, which provides a great variety of habitats full of wildlife to discover. It’s free to visit too! There are 3 different waterfalls to see along the Clyde Walkway, so make sure you bring your camera to take pictures of the stunning views. If you want to find out about the area and the animals that live there, pop in to the Visitor Centre, which is open daily and free to visit. There you can watch live footage of nesting peregrines in the Peregrine Experience, plus there are interactive games and toys, including wildlife crafts!