PRIDE OF SCOTLAND

Cosmo and Bronya Linzee Gordon, the young custodians of Cluny Castle near Balmoral, tell us how they're futureproofing their historic home

- MELANIE MACLEOD

Approaching the magnificent Cluny Castle along its sweeping tree-lined driveway, visitors are struck by the majesty and grandeur of the 300-acre, 15th-century property as it rises up against the dramatic landscape. With its regal bearing, it was the perfect option to stand in for Balmoral Castle in the 2006 film The Queen, starring Helen Mirren.

Located just 35 miles from Balmoral, the Scottish seat of Cosmo Linzee Gordon, 33 – who lives there with his wife, Bronya, 32, and their one-year-old daughter, Idina - is straight out of a fairytale, with princess-style turrets, sprawling lawns, a lake and a historic chapel.

However, to Cosmo, the Aberdeenshire residence, which has been in his family for generations, has always simply been home. "Growing up at Cluny was certainly a world of its own," he tells HELLO! in this exclusive interview and photoshoot.

"The castle is full of secret staircases and rooms that never quite join where you expect them to, and as children [my brother Guy and I] played endless games of hide-and-seek, vanishing for half an hour and reappearing in a turret. It was chaotic, beautiful and unforgettable."

HOME FOR ROMANCE

Bronya is equally enamoured of their family home, which has been part of her life since she met her husband as a child. She tells us: "Even now, I'm blown away coming down the drive and seeing Cluny - it's spectacular."

One can't help but get swept up in the romance behind the couple's love story. Growing up within the castle's walls, Cosmo could see his future wife's home in a nearby village from the turrets of his historic abode. Their parents were friends, and Bronya recalls falling asleep at the same table that is still in the dining room, while her mother would chat long into the night with Julia, Cosmo's late mother.