Rodono House

Our previous home

in the Scottish hills

Eight years ago we decided to pursue a dream. The Yarrow Valley in the Scottish Borders is where we realized that dream. With this page we want to keep alive some of our memory's of the life in Rodono House and St. Mary's Loch.

Exterior

Photographs of the exterior of Rodono House

Best viewed from a small distance, the architecture and how the house blends in with the peaceful tranquillity of its surroundings, are a classic example of a comfortable country retreat.

From up close the astounding craftsmanship that went into building the house becomes apparent. From hand-hewn whinstone and beautifully dressed red sandstone to perfectly proportioned windows, finished off by an exceptionally fine Scottish slate roof.

History

Words and pictures of old

The datestone above the door indicates that Rodono House is almost 150 years old. And still standing. Not a crack in any of its walls. They knew how to build houses in Victorian times.

We found some photographs from the late 1920s.

Interior

No photographs

The interior decoration of the house was entirely designed by Jolanda. The challenge was not just the project itself, but also to accomplish the effects she wanted in what was for us a new and unknown country. The kitchen, by the way, featured prominently in an Interiors Magazine in the UK.

However, since the house is now owned by Sandy and Stuart, it would not be appropriate to publish particulars of the interior on this website.

A day in 1999

After the builders had gone...

The refurbishment of Rodono House has kept us fully occupied for well over two years during which we sometimes wondered what we had gotten into. And then a book was published about a house in Italy. Did we choose the right country?

But the project reached completion. The builders went to their own homes and the house and grounds were ours again. Five pictures taken shortly after that glorious day.

Country living

Photographs

The Scottish countryside is a most excellent place to be. No need to get bored. Maintaining the garden provides lots of excercise, friends sometimes drop in for a BBQ and even a simple task as fetching some eggs from the farm next hill can present a challenge. Click thumbnails to make a selection.