Old Photograph Guisachan House Scotland

Old photograph of Guisachan House in Strathlass, in the Highlands of Scotland. The original house on Guisachan Estate, in upper Strathglass, was burnt down by the Duke of Cumberland's troops in 1745. William Fraser 9th of Guisachan inherited the estate on his father's death in 1755 and built a new mansion house. The estate was subsequently sold to Lord Tweedmouth in 1855. By 1962 Guisachan House was a ruin. Blog post of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to travel and visit one day.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Old Photograph Knockleith House Scotland

Old photograph of Knockleith House near Auchterless, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Tolly Castle, once a Barclay stronghold is located near here. It was built in the 14th century, but the bulk of the remains are from the 16th century. Blog post of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to travel and visit one day.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Old Photograph Balquholly House Scotland

Old photograph of Balquholly House near Turriff, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. This Scottish mansion houses was owned at one time by Robert Patterson who came to fame when he refused to pay National Insurance stamps for his employees. The sheriff's officer poinded one of his cattle and put it up for auction at Turriff market. The local farmers turned out in force and were so hostile to the idea of the sale that the auctioneer needed a police escort. After initially refusing to bid for the cow, the farmers eventually bought it and handed it back to Patterson. The house saw wartime service as a billet for Polish servicemen and for the Women's Land Army.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Old Photograph Skelmorlie Castle Scotland

Old photograph of Skelmorlie Castle, Ayrshire, Scotland. This first Scottish castle here dates from 1502, and was formerly the seat and stronghold of the Montgomery Clan. The modern village of Skelmorlie lies to the north of the castle. Major General James Montgomerie, of Wrighthill, Member of Parliament for Ayrshire lived at the castle for a long period in the early 19th century, being the brother of the 12th earl and grand uncle to the 13th earl. During this time the castle remained as a little altered, but run down example of a tower castle. The castle was tenanted during the period 1852 to 1890 by John Graham, born 1797, died 1886, of Glasgow, a textile and Port wine merchant. He rebuilt the castle in 1856 by restoring the old tower at his own expense, and adding the mansion house which joined two old buildings, with the permission of the Earl of Eglinton. His architect was William Railton of Kilmarnock. The 16th Earl of Eglinton moved here from the abandoned Eglinton Castle the Montgomerie family seat in the mid 1920s, but it was sold by the 18th Earl of Eglinton, having been leased to the Wilson family since 1956. The 16th Earl died at Skelmorlie Castle in 1945. The castle became the property of the Wilson family in the mid 1970s, also the owners of the meat canning factory at Eglinton Castle, Kilwinning. The castle was advertised for sale in 2007 and passed to new private owners in the summer of 2009.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.

Old Photograph Town Hall Penicuik Scotland

Old photograph of the Town Hall in Penicuik, Scotland. The founder of the papermakers Alexander Cowan & Sons was a nationally important social reformer and philanthropist. He helped create a public library in Penicuik in 1799, built a school and social housing for his workers, created a scheme for sickness pay and pensions for both male and female workers before 1848 and piped a clean public water supply from the Pentland Hills into the centre of Penicuik. In 1894, part of his bequest was used to build The Cowan Institute, as it was called then, which included a large public hall with a gallery, a library with many thousands of books, billiard tables and a fitted gymnasium, even public baths, all endowed for the good of the people of Penicuik. Its architect was the husband of Alexander Cowan's grand daughter, Cambell Douglas who, for half a century, led one of the most influential architectural teaching practices in the country and went on to spread the influence of the Scottish Baronial style to France and Japan. The Cowan Institute's splendid projecting clock was added in 1901 - Alexander Cowan's family having lived at Moray House in Edinburgh's Canongate looked out at the Tolbooth clock. For the next 60 years, the Institute was locally managed under the supervision of trustees. Then in March 1960, Penicuik Burgh Councill formally accepted the gift of the Cowan Institute building and the funds of the Cowan Trust, as a civic cintre for the people of Penicuik undertaking to provide for its future as recreational and hall facilities in the spirit of the trust. For 12 years, the Cowan Institute became Penicuik Town Hall, with the Library and billiard room converted for council administration. A new floor of specially imported Canadian rockwood maple split the Great Hall in two and created one of the finest sprung dancing floors in the country. Blog post of interest to folks with ancestry, genealogy or Scottish Family Roots in Scotland who may wish to travel and visit one day.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

View the most recent Tour Scotland photographs.