Drumkeeran House: A Celtic Country House Like No Other
By CATHOLINE BUTLER
Drumkeeran House, situated in the beautiful Pemberton Valley overlooking Ivey Lake, offers a hundred thousand welcomes to visitors.
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GRACIOUS HOSTS David Lunny and Maureen Baird in front of the fireplace at their lodge where they unveiled an oil painting "Scenes of Braemar."
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This is a Celtic country house like no other. It is actually more like a traditional Scottish hunting lodge transported to this valley.
Upon entering, guests have the impression of stepping back in time to a more genteel lifestyle. You can leave the city behind as you embark on a luxurious retreat in this beautifully furnished house.
The high beamed cathedral ceilings and extensive woodwork, are all part of the dream plan of a Scotsman. The decor throughout includes collector's items and works of art. There are paintings, red deer antlers over the fireplace, deer horn chandeliers, and an inviting long wooden dining table, all in keeping with the theme.
The Scotsman is David Lunny who, along with his wife Maureen Baird, owns Drumkeeran House. Both David and Maureen are practicing lawyers in Vancouver.
Lunny graduated from the University of Glasgow and lived in London for a time , before emigrating to Canada in 1974.
He said, "Drumkeeran is a gathering place. It's a wonderful place for people who just want to get away from it all. It's perfect for family reunions, small business retreats, corporate retreats, special occasions, Christmas, New Year's, and of course weddings.
"We have two kitchens. Some people who come here wish to cook their own food, others require catering. So, we are capable of suiting everyone's needs."
I recently made a trip up to Drumkeeran House at the invitation of David and Maureen. Having never ventured past Whistler, it was a new experience for me to drive to Pemberton.
I was accompanied by my sister Linda who acted as my navigator. It was a beautiful fall day and the autumn colours were spectacular. As we rounded one corner, there was majestic Mount Currie covered in snow and breathtaking in its beauty.
When we finally reached Drumkeeran House, we just stood quietly in awe on the back deck which overlooks Ivey Lake, and just drank in the scenery and tranquility of the setting.
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AFTER DINNER - (L-R) BACK ROW: Gordie Ferguson, Belinda Spear, Roderick McIntosh Shand, Cinde Stevens and Mark Blundell (councillor for the village of Pemberton). FRONT ROW: Miles Crombleholme , Maureen Baird, David Lunny and Carolyne Blundell.
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"The name Drumkeeran came from my grandmother, Bridget Kane," David said. "She grew up in a little townland called Drumkeeran in the parish of Drumkeeran near Ederney in County Fermanagh, Ireland.
"Even though my father was brought up in Paisley, Scotland, all the grandchildren went back to Drumkeeran for their holidays, and that has always been a name that's resonated with us. So, Maureen and I chose that name for here.
"The original Drumkeeran in Ireland was a little 14-acre townland in the beautiful countryside of Fermanagh. It was a thatched cottage with the typical stone masonry with a byre attached.
"It had an earth floor, an open fire, no electricity, and no lighting. My uncle Joe lived there until he passed away in the mid 1990s. Sadly, this cultural showpiece was demolished and replaced with an air brick building, so we no longer have the original to enjoy.
"Since we cannot duplicate the original, we wanted to build a lovely Celtic country house that would incorporate some of that Old World flavour, and so far we have had nothing but success in that regard."
Pemberton is known as "spud valley," and is also becoming world-famous for its local fresh organic produce. We enjoyed some of that wonderful produce at the sumptuous meal we shared at Drumkeeran House.
David and Maureen are the perfect hosts and ensure every comfort for their guests. A number of special friends had been invited to enjoy the evening.
Dinner was a long and leisurely event with everyone gathered around the long wooden dining table. The menu was an absolute feast and included local grouse, rainbow trout, Pemberton valley venison, oven roasted local vegetables and even fresh-made raspberry and apple rhubarb pie. Absolutely exquisite.
What more could you ask for: good food, convivial company, and great 'craic' in a warm and relaxed setting.
Every season has its beauty at Drumkeeran. In the winter Ivey Lake freezes over and I can only imagine what Christmas would look like there. This January a wedding is planned complete with the bride and groom on a horse-drawn sleigh on the frozen lake. The bride will be dressed in white with a fur trimmed cloak and muff. Drumkeeran is just the absolute setting for this fairy tale wedding.
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THE BEAUTIFULLY set table at Drumkeeran House where many delicious meals have been shared in good company
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For more information about Drumkeeran, e-mail: info@drumkeeran.ca, or visit www.drumkeeran.ca.
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AN EXTERIOR photo of Drumkeeran House located in beautiful Pemberton, British Columbia.
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