LIVING THE HIGHLIFE IN THE HIGHLANDS Scottish laird Ted Innes Ker launched Ossian to offer wealthy adventurers behind-the-scenes access to the country’s hidden treasures, says ROSALYN WIKELEY
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or many, holidays in Scotland conjure up memories of wet, blustery walks, shortbread, peat baths and shoddy wifi. For Ted Innes Ker, son of the Duke of Roxburghe and founder of luxury adventure company, Ossian, the above still apply. Add in a vast family castle, a contacts book bulging with Scottish landowners, and some creative thinking, and that wet week in August looks a wee bit more exciting. Innes Ker is a Scot looking to give the Highlands the highend treatment. Having spent five years as a touring professional golfer, he ended up in London, contemplating his next move: ‘I couldn’t stay in the city, it’s too depressing, it’s not me.’ So, he followed his nose and his contacts book north of the border and began to cook up some wild ideas. From his childhood, Innes Ker had learned how to host ‘properly’, studying the manner in which his father and stepmother treated guests, pulling out all the stops with stately panache. He sought to replicate that same
Ossian was founded by Ted Innes Ker (left) to give guests unrivalled access to Scotland’s greatest treasures
standard of hosting, but in the most magnificent venues across the country, combining traditional Scottish activities such as grouse shooting, stalking, golf and fishing with access to private aristocratic homes and sporting estates. Established under the umbrella of property consultancy Galbraith, Ossian was founded in early 2016 as a high-end concierge-cum-travel agency offering clients an exclusive off-the-beaten-track slice of Scotland. And when a group trip costs around £150,000, attention to detail is paramount. Sporadic wifi and moth-eaten towels in damp castles would soon lose their charm. ‘Personal hosting and access are a huge part of the USP and there’s no other
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