When the world’s richest folks fancy a tour of Scotland, there’s one girl who can actually assist – however she’s not Scottish. She’s from north-west France.
Solveig Kerdranvat, 27, attire in deep tartans and knee-length leather-based boots and appears extra Scottish than the locals round her.
She’s additionally a whizz with regards to fulfilling the weird wish-lists of her purchasers – together with enterprise high-flyers and international politicians – who pay as much as £25,000 per particular person for the bespoke excursions.
Among the many itineraries she and her companion have organized for them are a request to see Shetland ponies wearing jumpers, and a pub crawl between distilleries by helicopter.
If the chopper’s registration – G-TRMP – seems to be acquainted, it is as a result of the corporate they work for, Sandgrouse Journey & Expeditions, transports company within the Scottish-based plane utilized by a pre-Presidential Donald Trump.
Solveig Kerdranvat, 27, (pictured) is a Frenchwoman obsessive about all the pieces Scottish. After learning in Scotland, she made it her dwelling and now conducts excursions there for the super-rich
Among the many itineraries she and her companion, Jonny Stage, have organized for his or her rich purchasers are a pub crawl between distilleries by helicopter, and a requirement to see Shetland ponies wearing jumpers
Just a few months in the past, a few of their purchasers stated they wished to see Shetland ponies wearing jumpers, after seeing tourism adverts the place the animals are sporting Honest Isle knitwear. Solveig and Jonny managed to trace down the one two Shetland pony-sized knitted jumpers on the earth earlier than having them placed on two very obliging ponies
If the chopper’s registration – G-TRMP – seems to be acquainted, it is as a result of the corporate they work for, Sandgrouse Journey & Expeditions, transports company within the Scottish-based plane utilized by a pre-Presidential Donald Trump
Donald Trump – an enormous fan of Scotland – is seen arriving by the identical helicopter at his Trump Turnberry golf resort in Ayr in June 2016
Chopper hopping: The whisky distilleries visited
- Kilchoman, west coast of the isle of Islay.
- Lagavulin, south of the isle of Islay.
- Macallan, Speyside.
- Talisker , Isle of Skye.
- Dalwhinnie Distillery, Cairngorms Nationwide Park.
In the meantime, one other well-to-do vacationer wished a bagpiper enjoying on the runway as they disembarked the aircraft. Their want was granted too.
Not solely did Solveig examine in Scotland, and fall in love with the nation, she then fell in love with a person, too – Jonny Stage, 31, who had beforehand run excursions in Africa.
The pair settled down close to the Highlands, invested in some Harris Tweed and now spend their days mixing with the minted.
And so they execute every lavish whim with experience – together with a shock assembly with a 16th technology Laird on one among Scotland’s largest estates, and a tour of a non-public fort from a clan chief.
In a single case, a shopper who landed by helicopter on a Hebridean Isle wished a automotive – which needed to be a Vary Rover – to move them half a mile away to a ready boat. This was, after all, executed.
‘We’ll go to distilleries – Dalwhinnie is one among our favourites – and castles; a number of stuff we do is off-market however clearly if they’ve a particular request, we cater to that.’
Just a few months in the past, a few of their purchasers stated they wished to see Shetland ponies wearing jumpers, after seeing tourism adverts the place the animals are sporting Honest Isle knitwear.
‘We defined that this actually is not how they usually are while dwelling semi-wild on the windswept Shetland Isles,’ stated Solveig.
‘Nonetheless, we managed to trace down the one two Shetland pony-sized knitted jumpers on the earth earlier than having them placed on two very obliging ponies.’
Earlier than she completely relocated, Solveig was again in France shopping via the Scottish hashtag on Instagram. Buried between vacation snaps and selfies with Highland cows, she discovered a person with a pink beard, lined in tweed, standing subsequent to a classic Land Rover. She messaged him immediately. That man was Jonny Stage, and the pair (above) are actually engaged
Jonny had been dwelling in Africa the place he ran bespoke excursions till the Ebola virus hit and he hightailed it again dwelling to Perthshire county
‘Our purchasers flew in by helicopter and could not imagine their eyes. They could not cease laughing and loved posing for pictures with the ponies.’
Their purchasers come from a mixture of nations – Russia, India and different components of Europe.
‘I couldn’t say we’ve had a nation that’s been extra distinguished; it’d be a whole combine, which is cool,’ she provides.
‘I’ve all the time felt a powerful affinity with “Ecosse”,’ she says, utilizing the French phrase for Scotland. ‘Certainly, I’ve all the time been fascinated with Scotland and my love of the nation led me to decide on to review right here when at college.’
‘I liked the sensation of freedom right here, not realizing what I used to be going to find within the subsequent glen.’
One well-to-do vacationer wished a bagpiper enjoying on the runway as they disembarked the aircraft. Due to Solveig and Jonny, their want was granted
Solveig organized for a rich vacationer to have a shock assembly with a 16th technology Laird on one among Scotland’s largest estates
Their purchasers come from a mixture of nations – Russia, India and different components of Europe. Above, Solveig makes a brand new buddy
Earlier than she completely relocated, Solveig was again in France shopping via the Scottish hashtag on Instagram.
Buried between vacation snaps and selfies with Highland cows, she discovered a person with a pink beard, lined in tweed, standing subsequent to a classic Land Rover. She messaged him immediately.
Jonny Stage had been dwelling in Africa the place he ran bespoke excursions till the Ebola virus hit and he hightailed it again dwelling to Perthshire county, in the course of Scotland.
‘Solveig was taking a look at pictures of Scotland and Land Rovers in Scotland, the previous sq. ones, which I’ve,’ he stated.
Solveig fell in love with Scotland when learning and now lives in Perthshire with Jonny. The posh itineraries vary between £1,000 and £25,000 per particular person and Jonny says they are often as lavish because the purchasers want
‘I don’t know if anybody else has met that approach. It is fairly a novel story.’
With regards to their wealthy purchasers, Jonny says: ‘One or two names folks would possibly recognise however I can not say. A few of them are within the 100 wealthiest folks listing on the earth.
‘Some have financial institution accounts that should you goggled them on Forbes, it will rival complete governments.’
The journeys vary between £1,000 and £25,000 per particular person and Jonny says they are often as lavish because the purchasers want.
‘In the event you can dream it and in case you have the cash to do it, we are able to make it occur.’
And whereas the pair gown in kilts as they fly folks between native distilleries, Jonny admits they do not eat the normal meals a lot.
‘We don’t eat haggis fairly often however we do prefer it, however yeah, not usually.’
For more information, go to Sandgrouse Journey & Expeditions
With regards to their wealthy purchasers, Jonny (above) says: ‘One or two names folks would possibly recognise however I can not say. A few of them are within the 100 wealthiest folks listing on the earth. Some have financial institution accounts that should you goggled them on Forbes, it will rival complete governments’
