Accommodating 1,000 people at Penninghame Estate

On Friday, July 22nd, the Penninghame team were going about their busy day when two men showed up at the doorstep dressed from head to toe in camouflage. We assumed they were geared up to go hunting and just making a pit stop at Penninghame, but we were not expecting what they actually asked us. The man with the camouflage face paint explained that they were officers from the Danish Army who were passing through and looking for a place to park their 50 army vehicles. We didn’t know exactly how it would work, but we told them we would make it happen. We explained to them that they could park along our main drive and we would allow them to use our multi-function building, Cree Hall.  They were very grateful for this considering that they had not showered in hot water for a long time. We offered the whole building to them, as well as our toilets and showers in our staff building in the main house. They decided to stay from Friday to Sunday and had unlimited access to Cree Hall.

These men and women of nearly 1,000 came at the perfect time as well! Our Walled Garden is beginning to flourish with our vegetables and there was abundance a-plenty! Our team collectively decided to give bushels of fresh vegetables to the Army. We gathered up what we thought they would benefit from; chard, kale, beans, lettuce, etc., and surprised them with it. We were thankful that we were able to support these troops, and they certainly welcomed our farm-to-table experience! 

After they left, leaving no trace that they were ever here, Michael, our estate manager received a call from one of the officers asking if they could come by the next day to thank us and of course, we said yes! The Chief of Staff and the officer stopped by and thanked us for our hospitality to him and all of his soldiers. He gave us a plaque with the outline of their island in Denmark and their motto on the front saying “Nec temere – nec timide” meaning “Neither rashly nor timidly” with their badge on it. On the other side of the plaque, there was a message that states “This plaque is presented to you as a token of our appreciation of your hospitality and support during exercise Lucknow Lancer 22nd-24th of July 2022.” and it is signed by Major Søren Ankjer Strunge. We were absolutely honored to be the ones to give the Danish Army a place to stay and wash up and we hope to see them again soon! We at Penninghame try to accommodate everyone’s needs, even 1,000 soldiers from Denmark!

We welcome groups of any size to stay at Penninghame. If you would like to come and enjoy our amenities please visit www.groupaccommodation.com.