An American Aristocrat's Guide to Great Estates

Floors Castle is the largest inhabited castle in Scotland, a massive and magnificent mansion sitting on approximately 52,000 acres of prime Scottish countryside. Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke crosses the border to visit Guy Innes-Ker, the 10th Duke of Roxburghe, for a personalized tour of the castle’s grandest rooms and most fascinating stories. She’ll also get a lesson in table-setting from the castle’s butler, try her hand at fly-fishing, and get a VIP ticket to the prestigious Floors Castle International Horse Trials.

Holdenby House in Northamptonshire was once one of the largest palaces in England and was also a prison for King Charles I in the mid-1600s. Today, it’s the home of James and Karen Lowther, who over the years have invested millions on restoring it to its former glory and preserving it for future generations. Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke visits the 2,000-acre estate and 75-room country house, where she gets a lesson in music, falconry, and how to keep an aging home aesthetically pleasing and profitable.

Host Julie Montagu, Viscountess Hinchingbrooke makes a trip to Gloucestershire to visit Sudeley Castle, England’s ultimate fairytale wedding venue. Here, couples wander the same landscaped grounds that Renaissance royalty walked five centuries ago. Julie picks up tips on hosting weddings to take back to her estate, Mapperton in Dorset. She’ll also learn about Sudeley’s rich history of iconic residents, from Queen Catherine Parr, Henry VIII’s final wife, to the estate’s current custodian, Lady Ashcombe.