Rosyth Estate House
Kandy

Rosyth Estate House is a 1926 colonial planter’s bungalow set in a 62 acre private tea and rubber estate offering nine individually designed suites and rooms, exceptional food and some unique experiences. It’s located a ten minute drive away from the bustling town of Kegalle, about 90 minutes away from Kandy and a two hour drive from Colombo.

Perched on a hillside, and situated at an elevation of approximately 1,000 feet, the house has stunning views from the front veranda towards Kandy and the surrounding hills, whilst the rear overlooks the estate and jungle covered hillsides. The estate offers excursions into the surrounding landscape with walking trails and mountain biking routes, guided walks and tea picking in the tumbling tea terraces, and the rubber plantation. You may visit the neighbouring working tea factory to see how the tea leaves are processed and the estate has an organic garden from which you can pluck your ingredients for a personal cooking lesson with the in-house chef. It is a great place for families with treasure hunts and yoga activities available for children, so there is much to keep everyone entertained here, and with Kandy nearby there are plenty of other reasons to stay longer.

All nine rooms have been individually designed and furnished to reflect the colonial style of the property. There are four categories of rooms, from Classic Rooms in the main house to the Rock Villa with it's own private driveway. But wherever you stay the style is traditional, simple, and with all the luxuries of home. All rooms have air conditioning and ceiling fans, rainfall showers and stylish bathrooms. With inter-connecting rooms there are great choices for families and groups, and couples will find peace in the Plantation Suites with privacy and outdoor baths on the terrace (complimentary extras can be arranged for honeymooners).

To this day, the estate produces Orange Pekoe low grown tea, latex, and many of the tea pluckers & rubbers tappers are descended from the early employees of the 1920s. Various fruits and spices are also grown on this bountiful estate - coconuts, mangoes, papaya, jack fruit, pepper and cloves - and when in season, many of these are used in the restaurants dishes, the freshest ingredients you could hope to try. The wildlife here is also a joy to watch and you are likely to see different species of monkey, birdlife and deer during your stay. Such a flourishing environment with so much to explore, one feels enveloped by natural beauty here.

To my mind, the greatest reward and luxury of travel is to be able to experience everyday things as if for the first time, to be in a position in which almost nothing is so familiar it is taken for granted.
Bill Bryson