LONDON (TIP): Dumfries House is one of the most majestic stately homes in Scotland, dating back to the 1700s and close to the heart of King Charles III – a regular visitor to oversee the work of his King’s Foundation charity, headquartered at this royal estate near Glasgow. Satinder Kaur, collections manager at Dumfries House, is brimming with excitement as her research has helped curate a major new offering for visitors to Dumfries House – an authentic 18th-century dining experience in the historic home’s Pink Dining Room, complete with a “Butler Service” associated with the era and served on rare ceramics and silverware of the time thanks to the Royal Collection.

Starting this month, the Scottish Indian curator alongside Manager Evan Samson and Executive Chef Tom Scoble has successfully injected this added regal touch into the regular tours of the estate that visitors from around the world can book.

“As Collections Manager here at Dumfries House, it is a privilege to work with the fantastically varied collection of furniture, ceramics, glass and works of art that I’m looking after – dating from 1754 to 1759,” Kaur told media during a tour of the estate located in the Scottish town of Cumnock, East Ayrshire.

“I’m a second-generation immigrant and my parents are shopkeepers and post office owners. But they saw my passion and really encouraged me to find my path into the heritage world and it ended up being here at Dumfries House, where I am incredibly lucky to see something new every day that I find interesting or that I want to research and find out more about,” she said.

As the headquarters of the then Prince’s Trust and now King’s Foundation charity, the estate is designed to deliver life-changing training programs around traditional heritage crafts, rural skills, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and horticulture through a series of education hubs that nurture green skills and sustainability – priority themes for the 75-year-old British monarch.

Among the many activities on offer include an idyllic Health and Wellbeing Centre, offering yoga and meditation classes in keeping with the King’s own affinity with natural and nature-based therapies. According to the charity, around 170,000 people enjoy the estate grounds each year, with 10,000 students of all ages taking part in the foundation’s education programs on site.

Dumfries House itself attracts around 20,000 visitors every year to experience one of the largest and rarest collections of British Chippendale furniture in the world. Proceeds from commercial activities such as tours, weddings, events, stays at Dumfries House Lodge and dining experiences are ploughed back into supporting the work of the King’s Foundation to provide practical education courses for students from local schools and beyond.

The 15-year transformation of Dumfries House under Charles’ vision has resulted in nurturing employment opportunities for the local area, showcased by the foundation as a prime example of heritage-led regeneration.

Dumfries House is now keen to cast a wider net for people from around the world to witness this first-hand. Already having served as a vibrant backdrop for some British films, a Bollywood film crew and Indian travelers following in its footsteps are among the many prospects on the team’s agenda as the next chapter in the history of this 2,000-acre sprawling estate ensconced in the pristine Scottish countryside.