Parrandier,
Meft Road, Urquhart by Elgin, Scotland IV30 8NH
Tel. 01343 843063
Your Host: Andreas Peter
Your
spirits lift as you approach the edge of the village and spy the inspiring 70ft
tower of "Parrandier", the Old Church of Urquhart. Andreas, the owner,
bought the property with a legacy from his grandmother and has used the Huguenot
family name "Parrandier" as a fitting memorial to her. The old church
stands in splendid rural isolation on a grassy knoll - its own little island of
peace and contemplation, surrounded by a sea of stormy farmland. The church
was built in 1843 in the "Perpendicular" style of James Gillespie Graham,
with a simple Scottish interior but an exuberant exterior, with fancy finials
and enough butressing to hold up Queen Victoria, whose favourite family seat at
Balmoral can be spotted, if you follow your nose along the whisky trail south.
As well as b&b, Andreas offers self-catering at the Church and also at ex Abbey
on the shores of Loch Ness. If you are planning marriage or a renewal of your
vows at the church, no need to ask "for whom the bell in the tower tolls"
- Andreas will ensure that it tolls for thee!