Quaich, Hvar

e opened our doors to guests in summer 2008. The project turned out to be much more demanding than we first thought but with help from family and friends we have turned the ruin into a luxury home that we absolutely love and during the summer months share with our guests. Our life on the island is very different from back in the UK where Mick managed his own glazing company and I was a financial administrator. We still have a base back in Brighton and return there in the winter to see the kids. We chose to buy a property on Hvar mainly because it reminded Chris so much of Scotland with the mountains and pine forests everywhere and in addition the wonderful climate. In the spring the island is covered with wild stocks and freesia and the smells of rosemary linger. Vrbanj is a small mountain village away from the main road but not too far away from the nearest towns of Jelsa and Stari Grad. The sea is only 3km away and there are so many places to go swimming we are spoilt for choice. I was brought up in a small Scottish village where everyone knew each other and the old fashioned values such as helping your neighbour was a regular occurrence. Vrbanj is still like this and it's a little like stepping back in time. As we live on site and run The Quaich ourselves, we are on hand to help with any of our guests requests. We try to provide everything they might need but if anything is missing we are only too happy to make it happen. Our moto is simple luxury and if there is anything we can do to make your holiday more memorable you only have to ask.

*The Quaich (pronounced "quake", from the Gaelic word "cuach") is a traditional Scottish drinking vessel used to offer a warm welcome to guests and, on their departure, a fond farewell; the tipple of choice usually being a wee dram of whisky!