Whilst travelling the trails of Scotland on my bike, I have passed many a ruin. Not just the mighty ancient castles or abbeys that are often prestigious national monuments, but more often than not the more obscure, lost and forgotten houses, estate lodges or small castles that are no longer lived in and are slowly but surely going into a state of ruin …for whatever reason. Its quite sad to see these impressive residences, which were no doubt soaked in rich, regal and sometimes sinister histories, now no longer cared for and steadily been retaken by nature.
The buildings below are just a few of those that I have passed by, they make good ‘Points of Interest’ or POIs on the rides and I usually stop for a coffee and snack whilst admiring or sometimes exploring them. They are displayed in no particular order, with a bit of research (aka googling) their full histories can be found.
Dunalistair House is well hidden and is easy to pass by as it is tucked away near to Kinloch Rannoch. In its previously life it was a stately country house, and at one time owned by Hugh Tennent, the head of brewing company Tennent’s; now it’s an imposing, mesmerising and haunting vision. It is derelict and roofless, but hugely impressive, retaining many original features – conical roofs, turrets, chimneys and a coat of arms above the main door.
The building below is located down in the south, or what I call the ‘Land In-between’, as its so often ‘passed by’ on ones journey to the Highlands, it is also known as the Scottish Borders and it is located along the beautiful Annadale Way – which is a lovely long distance trail for either hiking or bike-packing. Near to lockerbie a commanding building found in the woods is easily passed by, it is the old Milkbank House and Kennels. Built probably in the late 1800s this impressive mansion in Scots Baronial style lays beside the trail in ruins. There are many of the prominent features such as towered roofs and crumbling corbelling with trees and vegetation taking hold. Inside there are large fireplaces and mosaic floors. The ‘kennels’ are next door to it and lay in a similar level of dilapidation.
Some super pictures here: https://www.forgottenchernobyl.net/milkbank-house
Moving further north, this time in the mighty Highlands near to Kinlochleven on the west coast stands this old lodge nestled in a very lofty position 230m up under the mighty the Mamore Range. Bearing the same name as the mountains, the Lodge was constructed in early 1900s by the Fairfax-Lucy family, who owned land covering 45,000 acres, it has long reaching and spectacular views over Loch Leven. It was built for Captain Frank Bibby and could be the worlds oldest independent shipping company and is still being run by the sixth generation. The lodge became a hotel at some point and entertained many a regal person, with King Edward, Viscount Churchill and Sir Henry Fairfax-Lucy. The building has also been used on film-sets Rob Roy and Brave Heart.
Some more information and fascinating interior pictures can be found here: https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/mamore-lodge-kinlochleven-june-16.106535/
Moving south to Galloway, there is a mighty castle hidden away in the trees near to Loch Ken. Bearing the name of the loch – Kenmure Castle is reached from the road down an abandoned tree lined driveway. The old castle balanced on a natural mound and once defended by the local area and is surrounded by marshy and flooded ground.
The Lords of Galloway were once rulers of a breakaway mini-kingdom in southwest Scotland until the 13th-century. Many families and peerages have passed through this place over the centuries.
What remains now is a ruin that consists of a largely 17th-century building including a 16th-century tower house, three stories high with an attic that was further extended, along with an impressive set of cellars – no doubt used to store vital goods such as wine and ports in one part and in other parts to imprison the un-ruley. The castle was first recorded as a ruin in the late 1700s, but was extensively restored and remodeled in the 1800s, which saw large sections of the courtyard and northeast tower removed.
Kenmure Castle has been derelict since the mid 1900s, after the interior fittings and fixtures and roof were removed in 1958. The ruins were listed in 1971, and since 1998, it has been considered a Scheduled Monument.
The best bit is the castle is said to be haunted by the Headless Piper of Kenmure – I will have to camp one night in the grounds to see if his presence can be found.
Well worth a visit, also the extensive grounds and nearby derelict fish farm buildings are a fascinating peak – like something found off one of those kidnap thriller movie scenes…
The Annandale Way again! Holmains is between the small villages of Dalton and Hightae, it sits quite high on a ridge at about 180m. The day we passed by it, it had a very sinister feel to it, we did not enter it as we were short on time, maybe on another occasion we’ll explore more. An imposing Oak stands next to the abandoned Holmain House.
The surrounding hill is very rich in ancient history, with forts, burials and mounds aplenty.
Inverailort House is situated on the east shore of Lochailort to the south of the River Ailort under the lofty Seann Chruach. The house dates from the late 1800s, said to have begun as a farmhouse, the house was rebuilt as a Victorian shooting lodge in 1875, then extended in 1891. During World War II, the house was requisitioned, and was used by the Commandos and the Royal Navy.
The house was occupied until around 2011, and included use as the Lochailort Post Office and sorting office, but it is now in a state of considerable disrepair and suffering badly from the effects of the west coast weather (Wind and rain!).
Hidden deep into the majestic Glen Affric is the ruined remains of Guisachan House, near to the mighty Plodda Falls. Built in the mid 1800s for Lord or Baron Tweedmouth, it was used by the wealthy as a shooting and hunting lodge.
More information can be found here: https://friendsofguisachan.org/main/the-estate/ [the two illustrations below are taken from this link, they give a good indication of the size and the impressive architectural features.
This account will be added too as I discover more buildings of interest. I also need to sift my journey archives as there are numerous other buildings that are worth a mention. One thing for sure is that they do add a lot of interest to the journey, whether it be a back-packing or back-packing trip seeing these places adds some spice and compliments the other more nateral things that you see, hear and smell.
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