From TV star to sporting gem, Balavil Estate in the heart of the Highlands has many a feather in its cap.
Its iconic mansion was made famous as Kilwillie Castle in the television drama, Monarch of the Glen, long before Downtown Abbey made country living chic.
It is also considered the “jewel in the crown” of Scottish sporting estates, famous for its sprawling, 7,500 acres running from the River Spey up into the mountains of the Monadhliaths.
But for the new custodians, its next role will be a little more low key, as they embark on plans to turn it into the ultimate “family home”.
The Press and Journal can today reveal the new “Monarchs of the Glen”.
Hannah Heerema – the daughter of singer Fiona Kennedy and businessman Francis Clark – and her husband Eric have paid an undisclosed sum for the stunning property.
The estate had never been on the market before – it had remained in the Macpherson family since 1790 – and the couple have vowed to “preserve its legacy” for generations to come.
They currently live on a 36-acre estate in West Sussex, where they have built up an incredibly successful vineyard business – a far cry from the misty moors of the Scottish Highlands.
However, they have always kept the north of Scotland close to their hearts thanks to Hannah’s roots, even keeping Highland cattle on their English estate.
With a new baby in their lives, nine-month-old Genevieve, and another child due in October, they wanted a place to stay in the part of the world Hannah calls home.
And with her parents still living at Blairs in Aberdeenshire, and her late grandfather affectionately known as “the King of the Highlands”, the couple hardly hesitated before putting in an offer after they visited the mansion earlier this year.
“Having a home in Scotland, for me, is really important,” Hannah explained.
“It’s part of my past – and my future – and very much the fabric of my life. Our family home is in Blairs, I went to Gordonstoun and I have many happy memories in the Cairngorms.
“Balavil is in the heart of Scotland and very much in the centre of my family’s upbringing.
“It will be lovely to spend more time in Scotland and be able to share where I was raised with my own children.”
When the words Scottish and music appear together, the Kennedy family almost always spring to mind.
Hannah’s grandfather, Isle of Lewis-born Calum Kennedy, was famous for his 1960s TV shows Calum’s Ceilidh, Round At Calum’s and Meet The Kennedys, in which he starred alongside his wife Anne Gillies.
Their five daughters inherited the musical gene, with the eldest, Fiona, being made an OBE in 2014 for her services to the industry and charity.
Hannah’s sister, Sophie, was the only one to follow her mother into the showbiz world, winning a Bafta last year for playing the young Philomena in the Dame Judi Dench Oscar-nominated film of the same name.
Hannah and her brother, Francis, instead chose to follow in the footstep of their father, a leading businessman and one of the best known figures in the Scottish fish processing industry.
Hannah and her 54-year-old husband Eric, a Netherlands-born investor, now run one of the most successful vineyards in Europe.
The 28-year-old said she had no intention of leaving behind the business and home they love so much, and will split their time between both properties.
“The Caledonian Sleeper goes directly from London to Kingussie,” she said.
“It will be an adventure for the little ones.”
She admitted it was a daunting prospect becoming the first new owners of Balavil Estate in more than 200 years.
She said her only desire was to restore the property to its full glory and stay faithful to what the previous owners had done with it
Allan Macpherson-Fletcher and his wife Marjorie, who inherited the estate from his aunt 40 years ago, have planning permission to build a new home on the estate.
“It’s a beautiful house already and we want to preserve its legacy,” said Hannah.
“What we’re hoping to do is conserve it and do some restoration work to the best that we can.
“It doesn’t need completely restored, but it does need some investment and attention from people who will care for it.
“The family who have lived here for the last decades have done a great job, and we’re looking forward to becoming neighbours.
“It’s a responsibility, and a responsibility which we will take seriously being the custodians of Balavil for future generations, but it’s important we do this.”
She said there was little they would change about the property, but they wanted to put their own stamp on it.
“My husband and I are both fans of the architect who designed the house, Robert Adam – his design leaves it open to interpretation,” she said.
“We will do everything in a sympathetic way.
“The main focus for us is to restore and conserve it and make it an incredible family home.”
The couple have no plans to continue running the estate as a business. The previous owners let out the property for shooting and corporate or pleasure visits.
“Who knows what will happen in the future, but for now, that’s not our intention,” she said.
“It is an entertainment house, and it deserves to be used. You can tell there’s been a lot of fun had in it.”