The Fife Arms Hotel in the Highlands of Scotland

Aberdeen to Braemar

Several months ago I learned about The Fife Arms in the Highlands of Scotland, only about 15 minutes from Balmoral Castle. Knowing that I would be in Scotland in June, I did some research and discovered the owners of the hotel are art dealers, Iwan and Manuela Wirth, and since they bought the property and elevated it to five-star status, they also filled the entire building with high-end art.

Next, I found out there is an Art Afternoon Tea with a tour of the hotel’s art collection. It did not take much persuasion to get Kevin to agree to go, since we would not be far away when we booked our stay at our favorite Marcliffe Hotel in Aberdeen.

We would certainly both be deserving a little break after finishing our Golf & Music Tour to Scotland earlier in June. Remember, if you have read the beginning of Terroir of Golf, Kevin and I are the honeybees that are always keen to get back into our Marcliffe hive.

Sadly, upon our arrival, we found out Stewart Spence had recently passed away. Stewart was awarded an MBE for services to tourism in 2015. He was a consummate professional and he also had a magnetic personality. This was a man who clearly relished his role as the director of a luxurious boutique hotel that evolved to become an institution. Stewart would always leave a letter for us in our room with a hand-written note of welcome. I wrote about this visionary man who had such an over-sized spirit in Monarch of the Marcliffe story.

It does seem, however, the Spence family appears to have found the perfect owner in the Balmoral Group, founded by chairman Sir Jim Milne. Kevin and I met him when we were having drinks in the sumptuous Drawing Room, as it was a Sunday and he was there enjoying the lively buzz.

We couldn’t help but notice there are ambitious projects underway with new construction, the centerpiece being a glass domed dining space for a new brasserie-style restaurant which will serve food all day. It is due to open in early 2026. There is so much more happening at the Marcliffe but it would take up my entire story to give you the full report!

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“Welcome to The Marcliffe Mr. McGrath” – in chocolate

An Art Afternoon Tea at the Clunie

Back to our “Tea” that we booked for June 23rd in The Clunie. The restaurant takes its name from Clunie Water, which is a tributary of the River Dee, that runs past the hotel. We left early enough to enjoy the drive through the countryside which took us into the Cairngorm Mountains. The Cairngorms National Park covers a vast area, spanning several council areas including Aberdeenshire where the Marcliffe is located.

We mapped it out so we could arrive about an hour before the art tour began. I was excited to roam around and fortuitously met Lauren, who was to be our guide.

I peppered her with questions and she graciously pointed out things that might not have been covered with several people in tow. I had read online that the largest artwork in the hotel is a mural created by Argentinian artist, Guillermo Kuitca. This particular work reminded me of the show of Expressionists that I saw at the Tate Modern in 2024. That was, indeed, a very enlightening experience!

Lauren showed me the precise corner where Kuitca began to paint and even where his signature is. It turns out this floor-to-ceiling acrylic mural covers every square inch of the walls of The Clunie, where the Afternoon Tea is served.

The precise corner where Kuitca began to paint the full wall mural around this large room.

Before the tour began, I noticed two Picassos, and was ecstatic when I discovered a pile of art books in the room with the larger one. My eye went right to the big Joan Mitchell book published by the Fondation Louis Vuitton. Then I spotted a book titled Monet – Mitchell, which intrigued me because in 1967 Joan Mitchell had purchased an estate overlooking the Seine in the village of Vétheuil where Claude Monet lived for several years. The book explores the artistic parallels of the two artists who lived and worked in the same area outside of Paris, but at different times.

I settled on looking at just a couple of pages — one spread of Mitchell walking in a French garden, and another, a portrait of her taken in 1946 by Barney Rosset. Mitchell and Rosset married 1949 and settled in Greenwich Village. They divorced in 1952. Rosset went on to become a pioneering book and magazine publisher (and marry four more times). In 1955 Mitchell traveled to Paris where she met painter Jean Paul Riopelle and she then lived with him for over twenty years.

Joan Mitchell in her garden in France

The Clunie

After I somewhat sated my curiosity, the formal tour with Lauren began. She took us first into The Clunie and since I had already familiarized myself with the giant Kuitca mural, I could concentrate on the monumental Brueghel II, and learn the story of that picture. Pieter Brueghel the Younger was a Flemish painter, the son of the renowned Pieter Bruegel the Elder. He is known for his numerous copies of his father’s works. In the lower left corner of this painting are three women, added to the scene at a later date, according to Lauren. She said the different style of dress and even the brighter yellow color was intentional because the owner wanted to distinguish this picture from others that were so similar. And yes, Bruegel the Elder spelled his name differently.

The next item Lauren pointed out was the Ice Age Antlers hanging over the service window of the Clunie restaurant. Back in 2019 I wrote a story titled The Great Irish Elk. I did divulge that the beast was not exclusively Irish nor was it an elk, and it roamed all over Eurasia. My story actually focused on an ingenious artwork created by an Irish sculptor, Andrew Carragher, that was made entirely of twigs he found in a forest.

The form of this animal was striking — including the massive antlers. Andrew arrived in Liscannor with his masterpiece strapped to the bed of a trailer that he drove down from County Louth. Passing cars were nearly crashing into each other as heads swiveled around to catch a glimpse of the buck.

Before we moved along, Lauren mentioned the chandeliers were made of Murano glass. I was astonished by that fact, as I was currently reading The Glassmaker by Tracy Chevalier and it is all about a family of Murano glassmakers, that was set in the 15th century. Well, it started out that way.

Lauren then guided us through Elsa’s cocktail bar. The interior design was based on the eccentric Elsa Schiaparelli, who became known for, among other things, the use of “shocking pink.” You could have easily missed the photograph by Cecil Beaton, taken in 1937 of Schiaparelli when she was at the height of her career as a fashion designer.

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Picasso and Zhang Enli

At last, we circled back to the Drawing Room with the larger Picasso, Nude with Man and Pipe,1967. This is thought to be based on Jacqueline Roque. She was the muse and second wife of Pablo Picasso and their marriage lasted 12 years until his death in 1973. He created over 400 portraits of her and she was the most featured woman across his entire oeuvre. The male figure is an iteration of a musketeer, one of the stand-ins for the artist himself.

Perhaps not covering as many square feet but categorized as the second largest artwork at the Fife Arms is the painting on the ceiling of the Drawing Room. It is an organic and magical sea of blues, greens, yellows and purple, created by Zhang Enli and is titled Ancient Quartz, 2018. The inspiration is derived from cross-sections of Scottish agates, that when split open reveal a dazzling array of color.

Our tour concludes in the lobby area with Lauren gathering us around the second, earlier Picasso: Tete de Femme,1938. It is of his mistress and muse Marie-Thèrése Walter. They did have a long affair and had a daughter together, Maya. This is a very rare work as it is the only painting in which Picasso included one of his own poems within the composition. Picasso began writing poetry in 1935 when he was 54 years old. From the Musée Picasso Paris website I learned that he wrote over 340 poems between 1935 and 1939.

There is plenty more to see, like the Wall of Heads. Lauren had made us aware that taxidermy was an art form in its day. She warned people about going into a certain room, incase they were sensitive to seeing these stuffed animals. I get it. We live in a very different age.

I was enchanted by the drawing of “A Stag Shot by John Brown” done by Queen Victoria. It is pencil and watercolor on paper and exquisitely framed incorporating the Fife Arms plaid in the outer mat. It really took me by surprise to see how adept she was at creating this sketch. I loved learning that it was a favorite occupation that she shared with Prince Albert during their summer visits to the Highlands of Scotland.

This is the earlier Picasso: “Tête de Femme,” 1938.

The commissioned Drawing Room’s ceiling artwork was created by Chinese artist, Zhang Enli

The Art Tea

When the tour finishes the Tea begins with an extraordinary array of savory treats. One must save room for the sweets, that included Key Lime Pie and a Red Velvet Cake. Alas, we asked to put the scones in a box to take with us.

The various teas are presented in an extensive stand-alone menu. I went for something exotic sounding: Rooibis Blueberry. It was absolutely delicious and the smell was intoxicating. It was hard to resist champagne but I’m glad I did!

It enabled me to enjoy our delicious dinner at the Marcliffe more than ever so I could savor the wine without feeling guilty.

Rooibos Blueberry tea at the Clunie dining room

Aerial of Cabot Bordeaux, a 36-hole golf resort in France

First thing you see when exiting the Bordeaux airport is a sea of red roses. In the same instant, the first thing you smell is cigarette smoke. Yes, you are in France!

However, we were greeted with dazzling sunshine so we moved quickly to pick up our rental car. Ooh-la-la! We were driving away in a brand new glistening Citroën with all of seven miles on the odometer.

Kevin is at the wheel and we zipped along toward our first destination. I was absolutely gobsmacked when we left the motorway and found ourselves in the tiny area of Pomerol. Really? Just like that? Wait! Isn’t this where Petrus, one of the world’s most collectable and expensive wines is from?

And, just a few minutes later we were approaching Saint-Émilion, where we were completely immersed in the medieval village for three glorious days and nights. For golf pilgrims, we know St Andrews is the heart of the Home of Golf in Scotland. Here, we are now in the heart of the famous Bordeaux wine area. We are in another kind of earthly heaven, surrounded by fine wine, ancient architecture and iconic monuments.

Saint-Émilion

The name of the town of Saint-Émilion derives from that of the Breton hermit Émilion that set up his hermitage in a cave in the Ascumbas forest. Now, centuries later, Saint-Émilion and nearby Pomerol, located on the right bank of the Gironde River, are known for their wines that come from unique terroirs that favor the merlot grape.

Our exquisite accommodations at Hôtel Porte Brunet

To navigate to Hôtel Porte Brunet we were using the GPS in the car but had a hard time with some of the directions in French. Finally, I pulled it up on my iPhone but then we were equally confounded, as we were directed to a tiny road that looked impassable.

That’s when we put down the window and asked a hunched over elderly gentleman où est Hôtel Porte Brunet? He gestured to go under the stone arch ahead of us. But there was a bollard in the middle of the narrow road. I looked at him in horror, but he motioned allez allez — so we just barely squeezed by in the pristine Citroën without scratching it. Whew!

Inching along the ancient road, I glimpsed the subtle sign for Hôtel Porte Brunet. Miraculously, we could reverse and grab one of the few parking spaces backing up to a low stone wall where dizzy tourists were roaming around to see the amazing view.

And it turned out, our own elegant room had this same view, only better as we were up that much higher. We didn’t know until later since our room wasn’t ready when we arrived.

That suited us just fine, as we were anxious to walk up to Bistro du Clocher — an excellent recommendation of Laurent Lartigue, the Directeur of the hotel, who welcomed us warmly when we entered the luxurious reception area.

It was a wondrous place, the minute our eyes adjusted to the elegant dark blue intimate setting. Every piece of furniture, perfectly placed, just so, was crafted beautifully, like a work of art. There were, in fact, fascinating wood sculptures with geometric shapes, and even the collection of candle holders, each made from 5-6 different woods, were works of art. It all fitted nicely with a bar area, set into a corner with all the Trocard wines on display and even a bottle of single malt Scotch Lagavulin whisky from Islay.

The origin of Porte Brunet

The Gate: Porte Brunet is one of the few remaining medieval gates in Saint-Émilion and it’s located south of the village. It was built in the 12th century alongside the ramparts and is symbolic of power and prestige of the village. In days of old, it was necessary to pay a tax to enter the village.

And Hôtel Porte Brunet

Brought to its current jewel-like status, Benoît Trocard is the heir to the 15th generation of winemakers in his family. Not only does he run the whole operation, he even prepared our sumptuous dinner, starting, of course, with wines from his family vineyards.

Since Kevin proclaimed that he loves Sauvignon Blanc, Benoît first filled our glasses with a delightful wine called TraLaLa. The playful label, populated with dragonflies and what looked like circus figures, also declared this VIN DE JOIE was an authentic Bordeaux Appellation.

We both came to the dining table with great curiosity and a healthy appetite. Our first course was a very inventive beetroot tartare.This extraordinary dish was bursting with delicate flavor and complex texture.

Completely vegetarian, it had the look and feel of meat, so Benoît poured a 2019 vintage Chateau Croix de Rambeau. It is labeled Lussac Saint-Émilion and is 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Why we didn’t buy a couple of cases on the spot, I don’t know!

Our chef, clad in denim bluejeans and a classic navy blue cotton polo, flawlessly orchestrated our main course — a gorgeous cod, baked in the oven, surrounded by carrots from the Trocard garden — that he told us were laced with honey from the hives! The exceptional wine continued to flow and flow. When it was time for our desert, Benoit chose a 2022 Chateau Franc La Rose to accompany our chocolate mousse. He explained that the pattern of the roses on the label were reproduced from the wallpaper of his grandparent’s home.

I am happy to report the many Trocard wines can be purchased on their website and are possibly available in Ireland. However, I did learn from Cécile, the Governess of the hotel, Trocard exports to countries all over Europe and Asia.

Grand Saint-Emilionnais Golf Club

Grand Saint-Emilionnais Golf Course designed by Tom Doak is featured in the Terroir of Golf book, and is a lovely parkland course to play.

Playing golf in France

As much as I wanted to spend more time seeing things like the Monolithic Church and doing an underground tour, we were committed to play Grand Saint-Emilionnais Golf Club. This Tom Doak-designed course is featured in the Terroir of Golf book, and is a lovely parkland course. We were disappointed that the owners were not able to be on the premises, as we really wanted to say hello.

We did manage to have one other extraordinary gastronomic experience at the Michelin-starred Logis de la Cadène. We considered this Kevin’s birthday dinner, even though it was two days early. We elected to have the 5-course “The Harmonious” menu that included Confit green asparagus from Landes with pistachio praline, Langoustine with artichoke, XO bisque with aged balsamic, Mushrooms from the private quarries in thin buckwheat tartlet (my favorite), Turbot from the coast, and we nearly burst by the time our Soufflé with vanilla from Comores. Rhubarb cream and meadowsweet was set in front of us. Luckily, Kevin has a hollow leg, so he could help me with every serving (but he did not get any of my soufflé)!

Cabot Bordeaux Golf Resort

The Chateaux course, designed by Bill Coore.

Our very short trip now took us to Cabot Bordeaux, which was formerly known as Golf du Medoc. When we do our Golf & Wine Tour to France in 2026, this is one of the places we will be staying. We were overjoyed when we could check-in to our sumptuous suite before our first round of golf.

The property has two golf courses — the Vignes, designed by Canadian architect, Rod Whitman, and the Chateaux course, designed by Bill Coore.

In fact, I learned about this resort from Bill Coore when I did my interview with him for the Terroir of Golf book. Bill is profiled in the chapter called “Designers Talk Turf.” Chateux is one of only a few solo courses that Bill designed without Ben Crenshaw. The first thing you encounter everywhere in the resort is a big bowl of Canelé de Bordeaux. These lovely rum-flavored mini pastries are spongy and baked in little fluted moulds. If you have one you will want more!

Having one was the perfect way to start our round on the Vignes. Although both courses are very flat, I was glad we opted for a cart. Kevin and I both had brand new TaylorMade rental clubs. My set also included the Spider putter, so that was fun for me to use a mallet instead of my usual blade.

The next day we played Bill’s Chateaux course. They are both very secluded with plenty of challenge. In the pro shop, we were told the members consider Vignes a little bit easier. That might be because Chateaux had water on more holes and was slightly longer. We only heard the “coo-coo” of the cuckoo bird on Vignes. It is a sweet call.

We packed a lot into five days/nights but we could have stayed longer, visited more iconic sights and wineries, and probably put on another ten pounds eating more cheese, croissants, baguettes, and of course, drinking more wine that Bordeaux is known for.

No sooner did we get home to Ireland Kevin and I both said “Let’s go back!”

Aerial of Point Hardy, the course designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. “It’s very possible that Cabot Saint Lucia is the most visually stunning piece of land we have ever worked with,” said Coore. “It was a privilege to work with the Cabot team on this one-of-a-kind site, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished. This project was truly a labour of love, and the initial feedback on this enchanting property as one of the world’s most sought-after golf destinations is very special to Ben and me.”

The Cabot brand is expanding all over the world. The visionary mind of Ben Cowan-Dewar has now developed a project in St Lucia that is nothing short of Amazing. Capital A.

Having started out creating Cabot Cape Breton, now both Cabot Cliffs and Cabot Links are included in The LINKS 100 — a brand new ranking of the world’s top 100 golf courses, ranked exclusively by golf architects, Cowan-Dewar has set his sights way beyond Nova Scotia.

I was very privileged to play Point Hardy, the course designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw. I felt equally fortunate to be able to include several high resolution photographs in the Terroir of Golf book that were taken by highly regarded Swedish photographer, Jacob Sjöman, in the Bill Coore golf architect profile.

Cabot St Lucia

Point Hardy, an 18-hole course in Saint Lucia is quickly becoming known as one of the best courses in the entire world. It is without a doubt the most visually stunning course, known for its dramatic elevation changes, and opportunities for hero shots.

My partner, Kevin McGrath, and I built in enough time to fly down to the Caribbean after the PGA Show in Orlando to avail of our invitation. We were joined by another couple who Kevin enticed by telling them Point Hardy is Pebble Beach on steroids. It turned out to be an understatement.

According to an article I read by James Colgan in GOLF magazine: “Buyers have flooded in from every direction, and the all-star cast includes Yankees’ first-baseman Anthony Rizzo.

I had heard that Annika Sörenstam, who finished No.1 on the money list eight times starting in 1995, parlayed her winning ways as a professional golfer into a successful business career. That now includes a partnership with Cabot St. Lucia, so she has a home there too.

On the Cabot site, I read that real estate at Cabot Saint Lucia starts at $1 million, but I read elsewhere that listings run from $2 to $8 million. Some day, Cabot St. Lucia might have availability for public play, perhaps through another on-property resort. Time will tell. Right now, the focus appears to be homesites for custom homes and some other turnkey residences.