April 2000 - PITLOUR

April 2000 - PITLOUR

PITLOUR

We moved to Pitlour in April 2000. I was pregnant with Rosalind. The girls attended Kilgraston on a flexi-boarding regieme. I thought this was the best way so that the girls could enjoy family life and boarding life. The best of both worlds. I have never really liked the idea of ‘boarding’.

I packed all the contents of our house in West Court and unpacked all the contents when we arrived at Pitlour.

We enjoyed some happy years here. Hamish insisted that I look for horses for the girls. I was not going to buy a riding horse for myself as I had a toddler but was happy to organise, buy and look after the horses. We had employed a nanny and she lived in our basement flat. I juggled between running the house, taking children to school and looking after various aspect of the running of Pitlour (including helping Hamish with is many directorships, office work etc).

We began to bring in various staff, a handyman, a gamekeeper etc.

Hamish was obsessed with Pitlour. He spent many hours showing friends, family, business colleagues and anyone who was interested around Pitlour. We began work on the stables and this took up the majority of Hamish’s time. We would sit up till 2 and 3 in the morning pouring over plans for the stable conversion, the big house, the landscape gardens.

We entertained many friends and had many friends staying overnight.

Rosalind was born on 22 November 2000. We had various staff ranging from a nanny, to various au pairs. I employed a cleaner (Lynda Mitchell) who assisted me in the house. I worked in the house regularly (house cleaning, washing, cooking entertaining (business colleages, friends of the children overnight, family) We always invited both families at Christmas time. We held Rosalind’s Christening at Pitlour and Mhoraig’s 18 Birthday party not too mention many more parties, and events.

Hamish decided to get the Pitlour Shoot up and running as quickly as possible and set about refurbishing our West Lodge so that Scott Lindsay (gamekeeper) could move in. I worked with the handy man (Roy Nicol). We pulled down old buildings and took down trees and cleared away debris (summer 2000 – pregnant).

Hamish spent most of his spare time either with the contractors, on site or with me pouring over plans and discussing the projects. Henry Dempsey of Harry Taylor (Chartered Architects) visited our house on a regular basis. I would go as far as to say he practically lived here. I provided him with numerous meals both during the week and often at the weekend. Hamish did not take the girls to school very often nor did he attend any of their matches at Kilgraston. He did not spend a lot of time with the children in general.

The children ate dinner at around 5.00- 6.00 and Hamish and I ate at around 8 – 10 pm. Life was very hectic.