Drummondhill Stratherrick Road Inverness
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DRUMMONDHILL STRATHERRICK ROAD INVERNESS The current building at Drummondhill, Stratherrick Road, Inverness is a B listed building built on the outskirts of Inverness in the late 19th century. The listing document dates it to c1860, presumably on the basis of Gifford and on the assumption that it was one of a number of substantial villas built on the Drummond Estate after it had been acquired in 1863 by the Charles Fraser Mackintosh. A solictor until1859 retiring at the age of 39 after13 years practice, he was an important local and national Liberal politician, as well a noted local historian. CF MackIntosh was also one of the leading developers in the town, creating with two partners Union Street that links the Caledonian and Station Hotel. The Drummond Estate was feued out for development soon after its acquisition and formed a precedent for a number of other estates to sell out and allow Inverness to expand. However the Valuation Rolls for Inverness-shire which start from 1869-70, record no building on this site until 1887-8. This is confirmed by looking at the OS 1st edition survey of 1867 of this area which shows two unnnamed buildings to the East, probably Bellevue and Camp Villa to the West. The area of Drummondhill is described as Campfield (*) on this map, though the Valuation Roll probably describes this piece of ground as Land, Drummond £8. This piece of ground was owned by Colin Lyon-Mackenzie of St Martin’s, formerly provost of Inverness and this piece of land remained in his possession or that of his ‘Testamentary Trustees’ until 1886-7 when the owner became Williams Burns Solicitor. Entrance to Drummondhill Ordnance Survey Inverness-shire Sheet 12.5 Surveyed 1867 It was William Burns and his wife, Mary Jane Fraser, who had this house built shortly afterwards. Their initials WB & MJF are carved above the entrance. Ordnance Survey Inverness-shire Sheet 12.5 Revised 1903 William Burns was a leading solicitor in the town and this area became a virtual enclave for the legal profession. Camp Villa was occupied by William Taylor Rule and Westwood by Hugh Rose solicitors in 1869-70 and Lochardil House was built in 1876-8 as the home for Charles Fraser-Mackintosh. The presumption must be that Colin Lyon- Mackenzie originally bought this plot of land at the same time as the rest of the Drummond Estate was feued out by Fraser Mackintosh but fell into ill-health before this house could be built. West facade at entrance Drummondhill remained in the possession of the Burns family until 1920, though William Burns himself had died by the time of the 1915/16 valuation. From 1920 the house was owned by Frank Sime a timber merchant who died by 1951. The house passed to Frank Sime Limited until it was purchased by the Northern Agricultural College, based at 411/2 Union Street Aberdeen. They were in possession by 1957, but had probably acquired it in 1955 on the basisof the tree plaques in the garden. The purchase of Drummondhill was paralleled by the establishment of a research station at Drumdevan from 1956 to 1965 and the purchase of Knocknagael and Balrobert Farm by the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Scotland. More detailed information on the ownership and management of the College and its relationship to DAFS is likely to be held in other archives and is not studied further here. The original rateable value was raised from £100 to £110 in the valuation of 1894/5and raised again to £130 in 1921/22. It still remained at this figure at the time of its purchase by the Northern Agricultural College. The lodge and attached stable were not listed on the Valuation Roll until 1896-7. It is not known whether there was an earlier stable block incorporated in the offices recorded in 1903 to the East of the main building. Only the northern block now survives and the pitch of the roof and division walls suggest these were always used as sheds and stores. * Campfield is recorded on anecdotal evidence, as deriving from entrenchments and other features connected with an encampment of militia, established here in 1729 . It does not not appear to have any connection with the camp established by the victorious Hanoverians after Culloden in 1746, as contempo- rary maps show them based to the north of the River Ness. The Highland Companies were independent troops raised by individual clans formed in support of the government after the rising of 1689 and disbanded in 1717. In 1724 General Wade was commissioned to survey the state of the Highlands. He proposed that 6 Highland Companies, 3 of 60 men and 3 of 30 men, should be established. This being approved by the government, he met these with 4 battalions of foot and 50 dragoons at Inverness in 1725. It is possible that part of this force was what is being referred to as being camped here in 1729. The obvious reasons for basing troops here and not in the Castle are either that the Castle was in a poor state of repair or that the encampments here were used as part of the training of the troops of the Independent Companies. Without further evidence it is impossible to be certain of this, but the inference must be that this tradition was strong enough to be preserved in placenames recorded 160 years later. It is posssible traces of ditches and pits connected with this occupation may still survive buried beneath the present gardens, though nothing has been recorded to date. The Independent companies were not formed into part of the regular army as the the 43rd (Highland) Regi- ment until 1739 (Taylor, p175). Bibliography Cameron E A 2000 The Life & Times of Fraser Mackintosh, crofter MP, Aberdeen Gifford J 1992 Buildings of Scotland: Highlands and Islands, London Newton N 2003 Inverness Highland Town to Millenium City, Derby Ordnance Survey Invernesss-shire Sheet 12.5 Surveyed 1867, published 1871 Ordnance Survey Invernesss-shire Sheet 12.5 Revised 1903, published 1871 Taylor W 1996 The Military Roads in Scotland, Colonsay The architect of this building is not known. The most likely candidate is Alexander Ross who was the leading architect in Inverness at this time. He designed a number of domestic and ecclesiastical buildings including the episcopal cathedral. North front to Drummondhill Oblique view of North side of building East side of House In the entrance lobby there is an intact but fairly plain mosaic. Internally there are few significant structural features to be seen. A low colonade defines the south side of the entrance hall and is reflected in a slighty shallower colonade at the top of the stairs. Entrance hall looking West Entrance hall looking East to stairway Looking down to base of stairs Looking up to head of stairs Few distinctive internal fittings are now apparent, though the two front rooms contain well carved mantels around their respective fireplaces. The fireplace surrounds in the upstairs rooms are much plainer. Carved wooden fireplace in Library (East side) Carved wooden fireplace in central front room Fireplace upstairs in front room (West side of room) DRUMMONDHILL LODGE The lodge and attached stable were not listed on the Valuation Roll until 1896-7. It is not known whether there was an earlier stable block incorporated in the offices recorded in 1903 to the East of the main building. Only the northern block now survives and the pitch of the roof and division walls suggest these were always used as sheds and stores. The lodge was rated at £10 per year and this was raised to £15 per year, remaining at this figure up to its purchase by the college c1955. Kenneth Macleod, Donald Aird and Robert MacIntosh were seperately listed as occupants and all identi- fied as Gardener. South gable end of Lodge External view of Stable and Garage from South with Loft above Gable end of Stable Block. Note ventilation cowling, currently eroded, allowing water to penetrate the building. North side of Lodge and Stable block External view of Stable door latch Internal view of stable latch STABLE BLOCK Internal Features Stairs to feed loft with window opening on North side Looking West at North stable with timbering along side and cast iron trough at end. Detail of cast iron trough in North stable South stable obscured by clutter. This is a mirror of that on the north. Feed hole in north west corner above north stable Feed hole for south stable next to stable division. Central division of stable with tack holder and ventilation hole. Detail of base of ventilation hole. Ventilation shaft in loft. GARAGE Entry to garage with saddle racks on west wall. Detail of saddle racks External entrance to loft W side of lodge showing stonework variations W side of lodge showing stonework variations (2) Stonework on W doorway Detail of tooling on external mason work between stable and lodge. GARDEN Only one tree a Wellingtonia situated at the front of the house (on the North) is potentially large enough to have been planted when the house was built (though it is not shown on the 2nd edition OS map). Remnant stumps still survive to the west of the drive of an avenue runnimg fom the lodge to the main house. This was probably the line of trees marked on the 1907 OS survey map. A series of cherry tree varietals have been planted alongside the drive and around the front of the main house. 6 of the trees at the front have similar plaques reading as follows:- Planted by R.P.Ligertwood Esq.