While exploring the island, a few weeks after their arrival into Bequia on Christmas Eve 1978, Sonja and Otmar Schaedle stumbled upon a lonely spot above the sea - a place with a glorious view over The Grenadines. Formidable walls, ancient water cisterns and heavy foundations - all abandoned!

The discovery haunted them. When they returned to Bequia the following year, they were in love with the island so much that they had the idea of moving there for a number of months a year during their long summer holidays. After many months of contacting the family who owned the ruins and estate, they were lucky enough to be able to purchase the property. A few years later, excavation began and a lot more ruins were uncovered - a sturdy gateway with protecting flanks, a huge ovenbuilding and a cellar. What had they discovered?

The first European settlers in the Grenadine islands were French. Local "Hear Say" inidcated that there had been a plantation on the site. Sure enough the original French family name, of the former owners, and a map dating back to 1763 were found in old documents.

The challenge was obvious. The new building had to grow out of the old ruins. To match the traditional style, the same beautiful stones were used, as well as timber from the local forest. The arches, cisterns and the stone floors had to be rebuilt by Bequia’s skilled craftsmen, while using imaginative reconstruction, based on how the original might have looked. Clearing of the property ended in 1982, while the construction of the buildings was finally finished in 1986.

Today the tower of The Old Fort can been seen crowning Mt. Pleasant Point. It is surrounded by shaded terraces and large gardens. Guests enjoy the glittering sea below and the emerald islands stretching to the South including the little sister island of Mustique and distant Grenada. Little changed from times gone by, now operated and available for bookings for 2 - 12 guests, The Old Fort today is still a truly magical place.