More than just a place to stay
Heart of Scotland Holidays was created to help preserve Kinneil House and the surrounding site. Over time, the goal has grown wider, as we realised we could use the business to support mental health work and create space for people who need time to recover, rest, and regroup.
Why we chose a social enterprise model
The original purpose of the business was practical: generating enough income to maintain a historic building and keep the house and its grounds together, long-term.
As the project developed, though, it occurred to us that the business would eventually be able to support more than maintenance alone. A social enterprise felt more aligned with our ethos than a profit-making structure, so future surpluses will be reinvested into the site and wider mental health initiatives.
Although we are not a charity, our governing documents prevent profits from being extracted from the business unless the house and its grounds no longer need looking-after.
The longer-term vision
In the longer term, we hope the site will help fund supported counselling retreats for people who would otherwise struggle to access that kind of space and support.
The idea is simple: most of the year we will run as a normal holiday site to generate the funds to support our social purpose. At quieter times, we will then use that money to provide a calm, comfortable, and flexible environment for people who need to step away from everyday pressures for a while, in order to focus on getting better through counselling and recovery work.
Different people need different things during difficult periods in their lives. Some need quiet and privacy, others benefit from shared experiences and structured support. The aim is to create something adaptable enough to support both, within the tranquil surroundings of a historic walled garden.
Supporting wider mental health work
Alongside the long-term retreat plans, we also hope to support other mental health and wellbeing initiatives wherever we realistically can, whether through partnerships, funded stays, shared use of the site, or direct financial support.
As the business grows and stabilises, we want the site to become something that not only sustains itself, but also helps support other people, particularly within our local community.
Depending on how things go in the long term, we’re hoping to also support other types of community initiatives, but we’ll need to see how well the model works for supporting our core purposes first.
A gradual process
Like the restoration of the house itself, Heart of Scotland Holidays is something being gradually built over time.
Right now, much of the focus remains on maintaining and improving the site, paying off development costs, and continuing the long process of caring for a historic property. The wider purpose behind the project has been there from the company’s foundation, however, and continues to shape where it goes next. It’s the thing that’s kept us going through the difficult times, and keeps us pushing forwards.
