The former family home of one of Britain's most famous Prime Ministers is to have a new lease of life as a romantic rendezvous for weddings and as a spectacular conference centre.

Fasque House at Fettercairn, which once belonged to the family of Liberal statesman William Gladstone, has undergone a major make-over to turn the Georgian mansion and 300 acre country estate into a dream location for almost any size of wedding, conference or special occasion.

Douglas and Heather Dick-Reid have spent much of the last eight months working on the historic A-Listed building, after it was bought by Fasque House Properties last year, to create a family home and provide a unique venue just 25 minutes from the centre of Aberdeen to rival any conference facility or wedding location in the country.

The 39,000sq ft mansion, which was last used as an everyday family home in the early 1930s, boasts 16 bedrooms, eight bathrooms and seven reception rooms along with a spectacular double cantilevered staircase, believed to be the largest of its type in the UK, naturally lit by a giant ornate cupola.

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The imposing three-storey, red sandstone stately home was built around 1810 but sold in 1829 to John Gladstone, the uncle of Sir William Gladstone who was four times Prime Minister during the reign of Queen Victoria and a regular visitor to the house.

“Working on Fasque House has been a labour of love,” said Douglas Dick-Reid,

Managing Director of Fasque House Properties, who has a successful track record in the property and hospitality industries.

“Like all such historic buildings we have had to pay a lot of attention to detail and take our time in getting things right. Fasque House is a truly magnificent example of the golden age of country house living.”

Corinthian columns, arched doorways, decorative stucco cornices and ceiling roses along with magnificent decorative marble or timber fireplaces and original cast-iron grates provide a luxurious insight into the grandeur of a bygone age.

The ornate state reception rooms include the main hall, which can seat a banquet of up to 100 people, a dining-room, a study, the Gladstone Library and a very large south-facing drawing room with a bow window.

The house, especially the bridal apartment, are characterised by curved walls in a number of the rooms to allow for the inclusion of “hidden” turret rooms offering discreet space for quiet contemplation.

Outside, acres of rolling lawns, peacocks, white deer and an abundance of wildlife provide an ideal romantic backdrop for wedding photographs.

“Our aim is to restore Fasque House as our family home which is available for weddings, conferences and other special occasions in keeping with the elegance and grandeur of the house and as intended by the people who built it more 200 years ago,” added Douglas.

(GK)