Dominic and Claire Skinner: Founders and creators of the Rou Estate

It is not unusual to meet people who have realised a dream - that of owning a house in Corfu. It is slightly more unusual to meet a couple who have extended their dream to that of owning a whole village.

Claire and Dominic Skinner are the creative driving force behind this unique project. Dominic is an architect who was meticulously trained at Norman Foster and Partners in London. He has connections with Corfu that go back thirty years and Claire, his wife, whom he met on the island, is a holistic therapist.

Their ambition was to find a project that would allow them to combine their talents and interests, one that would reward them with a sense of achievement not to be found in everyday, mundane activities. The result of their efforts is inspirational: the Rou Estate, a restored two-hundred year old stone hamlet set high up on a sheltered hillside in north-east Corfu with stunning views over the Corfu straits to the Albanian mountains beyond.

In the past, the inhabitants of Corfu built their villages high up in the hills to escape the all too frequent raids by the pirates that infested the Mediterranean. Claire and Dominic hope that the Rou Estate will provide another kind of refuge for our times - a place where guests may relax and escape from the stress that modern life so often imposes.

The Rou Estate is a haven of peace that soothes and inspires, restores and renews. Enhanced by the combination of pure mountain air, the scent of herbs, the sound of birdsong and the tinkle of goat bells, Rou is a magical experience totally unique to Corfu, and indeed to Greece.