Deloraine House

Deloraine is an exceptional piece of Kenya’s history, and one of the grandest examples of British architecture in Africa. It was built in 1921 by Lord Francis Scott, a prominent early settler, with his wife Eileen. Francis was the younger son of the Duke of Buccleuch – then the largest landowner in Britain, while Eileen was the daughter of the Earl of Minto, Governor General of Canada and Viceroy of India.

The farm is set on the lower slopes of Londiani Mountain, on the western edge of the Great Rift Valley – with over 6,000 acres developed by Francis and Eileen Scott’s daughter, Pam, who introduced a herd of Sahiwal cattle from the Punjab, maize, wheat, and Rhodes hay. She preserved the indigenous forest on the higher ground that until quite recently still had mountain bongo and rhinos.

In the early 1990’s after Pam’s death, Deloraine House was taken on by the Voorspuy family, where Offbeat Safaris was set up by Cindy and her husband the late Tristan. It became the family home for their children Imo and Archie, and is still very much a private house with a small number of families coming to stay.

Facilities

The house has four double bedrooms (some with an extra bed for children) and a fifth room has twin beds, all with their own bathrooms, while the adjoining cottage has a further three double / twin rooms, each with en-suite showers. A separate furnished 4-bedroom farmhouse on the neighbouring farm is sometimes available too.

Experience & Activities

Deloraine is the base for up to 90 horses. There are 45 safari horses (used in the Mara andLaikipia belonging to the new owners of Offbeat riding safaris), and also polo ponies, brood mares, youngsters, eventers and racehorses. There is a polo ground and wooden horse for informal instruction, numerous cross-country fences of all shapes and sizes (even for beginners and less experienced riders wanting to build their confidence), and many canters and tracks around the farm and mountain – making an equestrian heaven for those keen of riding, whether as a stand-alone riding holiday or for “tuning-up” before heading off on a riding safari with Offbeat or at Sosian, or returning from one to relax for a few days.

Guests also stay at Deloraine to enjoy the extensive formal gardens, swimming pool, tennis court, croquet and of course the fabulous house with its verandas. The gardens and farm are very child-friendly and safe for walking and riding, with no dangerous mammals or crocodiles in the vicinity, making Deloraine a very relaxed destination for family groups.

There is a very wide range of spectacular bird life in the gardens, the fields, woodland and dams. International farm tours also come to Deloraine for a few days while visiting the range of local agricultural and horticultural Rift Valley enterprises. Nakuru National Park (renowned for its rhinos and flamingos, along with Rothschild’s giraffe, impala and many other species) is 45 minutes’ drive from Deloraine.

With over 60 horses based at Deloraine, mountain riding, cross country jumping and a full size polo pitch, this is an equestrian's heaven! Enjoy horse riding around the property, as well as a swimming pool, tennis court, and croquet lawn. The extensive mature gardens are perfect to relax in. You can also experience day trips to Lake Nakuru, Lake Bogoria, and Lake Baringo.