Scottish Highlands movie star retreat Ackergill Tower is a dream come true

It’s a favourite retreat for movie stars and TV personalities.

Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas and Billy Connolly have soaked up the grandeur of Scotland’s 15th Century Ackergill Tower.

And the silver fox of popular British TV, Phillip Schofield, wed his wife Steph at the Tower in 1993, describing it as one of his “most favourite places on the planet.”

And now I and my friends and family were in the Scottish Highlands between Wick and John O’Groats to try the uber-lux destination for size.

The approach to Ackergill is as spectacular as a scene from any Hollywood blockbuster.

The formidable fortress appears to loom out of the sea, standing just feet from the wild and unforgiving Pentland Firth. This is a place of storms and shipwrecks, Orca, basking sharks and seals.

Killer Whale were spotted smack-bang in front of the castle, in Sinclair’s Bay, just a few weeks ago and my eyes eagerly scanned the horizon for a similar spectacle.

Guests are spoiled for choice when it comes to accommodation at Ackergill with fabulous views from every window.

The property was refurbished last year after a fire destroyed the basement and caused smoke damage elsewhere in the building.

But it has risen, phoenix-like, with all its history and artefacts intact, but with an interior more illustrious than ever.

Ackergill now features 35 bedroom suites, a string self-catering cottages (one a New England-style beach house) and the largest treehouse in Europe, a favourite spot for honeymooners and small weddings.

Our base was the stylish, five-bedroom Beach House. Set in the most beautiful private location overlooking the bay, it enjoys panoramic views of sea and sky.

The house was completely revamped in 2010 and has been finished to an exceptionally high standard.

Better still, the waterside pad is just a two-minute stroll from the castle, thought to have been built in 1475, where more formal lunches and dinners can be had.

My guests were eager to explore the fortress where Oliver Cromwell was said to have used Ackergill in 1651 to garrison troops during the siege of Dunnottar Castle.

And although we had anticipated a stiff, formal reception, in keeping with the aloof grandeur of the Tower, we were surprised and beguiled by our warm, couthie welcome.

“This may be a castle,” said the beaming member of staff who greeted us, “but for the next few days the Tower and its beach house are your home.

“Feel free to kick off your shoes, put up your feet and do whatever you wish.”

We hardly knew where to start, there was so much on offer.

The team at Ackergill are as full of fun and invention as they are charm and can conjure up the most memorable of experiences for their guests.

Imagine moonlight on the sea, a crackling beach bonfire, the pounding of the surf and the haunting strains of a solitary piper that is the magical world of Ackergill.

Or the thrill of exploring a ghost island where an entire community once thrived. The team can organise boat trips and picnics to the private island of Stroma.

Here guests can explore abandoned but ’n’ bens, bathe in the waters of some of the country’s most pristine, deserted beaches, or even play a round of golf on the island’s nine-hole course.

Back at the Tower, which has a fully equipped kilt room with Highland dress to fit almost every guest, black tie dinners can be a regular occurrence.

For a more informal affair, guests gravitate to the Smugglers’ Pub, where casual dining is available beside a roaring fire.

Other activities are displayed in the gun hall golf, fishing, clay pigeon shooting, stalking, kayaking, and thrilling rib rides which take guests bouncing across the waves to spot wildlife.

Our days were spent fishing, shell foraging on the vast, golden sands and delving into rock pools (boots, Barbours and buckets and spades supplied).

When the weather was wild, we were cosy inside, sipping malt whisky while our kids played the Wii and boardgames supplied by the castle.

And as the nights drew in, we nestled contentedly in our sumptuous beds to the sounds of the sea and the sight of myriad twinkling stars.

Classic tower bedrooms start from £165 per room per night, bed and breakfast.

Beach House prices start from £1,225 per night self-catering sleeping 10 people but special offers are sometimes available on the web at amazingvenues.co.uk.

Founder of castle owners Amazing Venues, Mike Clare, said: “From the moment a guest arrives at Ackergill Tower we want them to feel that this is where their Scottish Highland adventure begins.”

My guests and I wished it would never end.