lifestyle Forbes of Kingennie Country Resort – the Jewel in Angus’ Crown
Forbes of Kingennie Resort’s history goes back to 1965, when farmer Alistair Graham Forbes brought his American bride, Cindy, to Omachie Farmhouse, Kingennie with their son Michael. When Mike was six he caught his first fish in the Buddon Burn, and his passion for fishing was born. From a young age, Mike worked on the farm and made pocket money breeding pigs in a shed, which he later developed into a prosperous business. He won the Scottish National Fly Fishing Championships in 1991, and was selected for the Scottish Fly Fishing Team. He became captain of the team in 1993 and winner of the Phoenix Salver for Best International Scottish Rod. Mike converted an overgrown corner of the farm into a fishery and three self catering lodges, opening in 1995 as Kingennie Fishings with the old boathouse renovated into a fishing shop. The success of this venture encouraged Mike and his wife Gail to continuously invest and extend to create the resort seen today. The old Boathouse is now the Leannan Boathouse, a 136
romantic hideaway for lovers and Honeymooners, and Kingennie has grown to be one of Scotland’s premier wedding venues. There is continuous investment around the resort, which includes a 9-hole golf course and U.S.G.A specification 18-hole “Cairngorms” putting green. When it comes to food, the Forbes family places a lot of emphasis on using local, Scottish produce. The resort not only sources ingredients from the local area but also from the family farm. The newly launched menu in the Waterside Restaurant features Forbes peas, Omachie strawberries, Cammie Forbes’s free-range eggs, Omachie pork and other vegetables and berries. The menu also includes meat from family member Bel Forbes’ butchers in Edzell and another family business, Mackies, supplies the crisps served alongside the fresh sandwiches on the lunchtime menu. Events programme added to Forbes of Kingennie Resort’s Winning Formula Adding to an already successful formula, the Forbes
family have just announced the launch of ‘Kingennie Events’ - a programme of gatherings, fayres and celebrations designed to put the venue, renowned for its weddings, dining, fishing and golf, firmly on the Dundee social scene map. The events programme launches on 27th November with a Comedy Night, brought to the Broughty Ferry venue by Breakneck Comedy, the team behind regular sell-out comedy events in Aberdeen. The night will feature five top Scottish comedians – Gus Lymburn, Chris Henry, Liam Withnall and Gary Meikle – all fresh from their stints at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and looking forward to testing their material on the Angus audience. December will see the resort host three Christmas Party Nights (11th, 18th and 19th) boasting an exquisite threecourse dinner, which will include fresh Forbes of Kingennie produce, and entertainment by a popular covers band, Pepperpot on 18th and 19th, and a DJ on the 11th. To finish up 2015 in style,
www.farmingscotlandmagazine.com
the resort will host a glittering Hogmanay Dinner Dance on 31st December. An adultsonly celebration, guests will be treated to a delicious threecourse course dinner before dancing into 2016 with the unbeatable Staffin Island Ceilidh Band. The events and celebrations continue into the New Year with a Burn’s Night Ceilidh on Saturday 23rd January where you can enjoy a dram and a dance to The Cutting Edge Ceilidh band along with a traditional haggis, neeps and tatties buffet. Libby Forbes, Marketing Manager at Forbes of Kingennie, said: “We are really looking forward to the events season and meeting new people who perhaps haven’t been here before. We are delighted to be working with local suppliers, including Monifeith Cabs which are offering guests to the Comedy Night 25% off their fares.” Tickets for all Kingennie Events can be purchased by calling 01382 350777. www.forbesofkingennie.co.uk