We are delighted to announce that we are recipients of the Silver Medal in the Sykes Cottages Best Historic Property category.


Bearnock Lodge – Best Historic Property (Silver).
Bearnock is steeped in history. Owners have included the Wallace family, who still have relations living in the area. Anna Wallace became famous in the early 1970s as the girl who turned down the offer of marriage to Prince Charles. The Cape family and the Grant family (famous for whiskey)! Lady Grant’s father was Lord Primrose, prime minister for a year after Gladstone.
After the war, the house had various owners and started to fall into disrepair. At one stage, it would be a hotel. And at another time, an art exhibition centre, but these ideas came to nothing.
In the early 1970s, the Janney family purchased the house. While they began a renovation, it was a huge task, and much of the back section of the house remained in disrepair for many years.
It was the current owners, the Sutherland family, who, upon purchasing the property in 2009, began restoration in full. Bearnock now has all the comforts of the 21st century while maintaining its historic charm. So, we are delighted that Sykes Cottages recognised our dedication to preserving the history of Bearnock in their Sykes Gems Awards 2023.







The Sykes Gems 2023 Awards recognises the very best cottages and homeowners within the Sykes Holiday Cottages family.
This year’s panel of judges included:
- Sophie Swietochowski, Assistant Travel Editor at The Sun
- Bev Dumbleton, Chief Operating Officer at Sykes Holiday Cottages
- Graham Donoghue, CEO at Sykes Holiday Cottages