Sunday, March 29, 2020

Golspie Tower

The name of our new house comes from the view to the north-northwest where, between the houses at the opposite side of the grassy recreational area, we can see two buildings, a modern house and a lower-profile building which used to be a farm part of which, around 1810, was converted to become the stables for the Golspie Inn. The site also housed a threshing mill, powered by a burn that runs down from the forestry beyond.

The farm was built on the site of the Golspie Tower around 1515. The tower was a mediaeval fortification of which no trace remains but it was not part of the Sutherland lands, and its occupants were at times at odds with the earls.

The tower appears on several early maps, including this one by Jan Jannson dated 1659. It's interesting that Dunrobin is not marked as a castle, as both Golspietour and Skelbe (Skelbo) are.

A fire destroyed the house roof and much of the farm buildings, which were demolished in 1978, leaving the stable block, now a dwelling house.

No comments:

Post a Comment