Kindrogan House - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Kindrogan House is located near Enochdu, Blairgowrie

Blairgowrie and Rattray

Blairgowrie and Rattray and Raitear is possibly from an English language cognate of Gaelic ràth, meaning fortress + a Pictish term cognate with Welsh tref, meaning settlement) is a twin burgh in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Amongst locals, the town is colloquially known simply as "Blair"...

, Perth and Kinross in Moulin parish, at the head of Strath Ardle, 7 miles (11 km) ENE of Pitlochry

Pitlochry

Pitlochry , is a burgh in the council area of Perth and Kinross, Scotland, lying on the River Tummel. Its population according to the 2001 census was 2,564....

and 2½ miles (4 km) northwest of Kirkmichael. It is run by the Field Studies Council

Field Studies Council

The Field Studies Council is an educational charity based in the UK. It opened its first Field Centre in 1947 at Flatford Mill, and now operates 17 Field Centres in various locations in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland offering both residential and non-residential field courses...

Kindrogan House and Field Studies Centre

Kindrogan House is an early 19th century building, incorporating earlier fabric (possibly mid 18th century), with later additions and alterations. It is a substantial 2-storey structure, with crowstepped gables and a three sided courtyard to the rear. It has an ornate doorpiece, is harled with painted stone margins, and has walls of random rubble with large squared rubble granite quoin

Quoin (architecture)

Quoins are the cornerstones of brick or stone walls. Quoins may be either structural or decorative. Architects and builders use quoins to give the impression of strength and firmness to the outline of a building...

s.

The centre lies below Kindrogan Hill (185 m) off the A294 Pitlochry to Braemar road and the nearest railway station

Pitlochry railway station

Pitlochry railway station serves the town of Pitlochry in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is served by First ScotRail trains between Glasgow or Edinburgh and Inverness, and the daily East Coast service between London and Inverness....

is at Pitlochry. The extensive Kindrogan Woods, mostly coniferous, cover the lower slopes of the hill and the River Ardle

River Ardle

The River Ardle is a tributary of the River Ericht. It runs for through the valley of Strathardle in Perthshire, Scotland. It is a salmon river providing opportunities for angling.-Course:...

forms a boundary to the east of the house. An old curling pond lies beside the driveway to the West Lodge.

Centre facilities

A well stocked natural and local history library is located in Kindrogan House, open at all times. Tea and coffee facilities are located near the reception lounge and in the upstairs lounge, adjoining which is a licensed bar. A shop opens each day to sell maps, stationary, confectionary, postcards, stamps, etc. A large drying room is provided to hang wet clothes, waterproofs, boots, etc. Mobile phones do not all have good reception, however phone boxes are provided. The Ardle wing at the back of the building has single room accommodation and elsewhere bunkbeds and twin rooms are provided.

History of the Kindrogan estate

Kindrogan Estate was anciently the property of the Robertson and Reid families. Later it was owned by the Small Keir family, passing by marriage from the Small's of Dirnanean and then through the marriage of Jane Amelia Keir to Captain Francis Balfour of Fernie Castle in Fife to the Balfour family. The Balfours purchased Dirnanean in 1926, and upon the marriage of Francis to Katherine Dolby in 1930 they moved residence to that estate, letting Kindrogan to Sir George and Lady Dolby for their summer home. The Balfours returned to Kindrogan after WWII and remained until 1960 when the estate was purchased by the Forestry Commission, and sold on to the current owners, the Scottish Field Studies Association in 1963 after a short spell as a country house hotel. The family or laird's graveyard lies on the slopes of Kindrogan Hill.

In the 1880s Patrick Small Keir, Esq. (b. 1810), held the 10000 acres (40.5 km²) estate, valued at £2445 per annum.

A plaque beside the path running from the house to the Enochdu Lodge beside the River Ardle records that Queen Victoria once stopped here for tea on an excursion from Dunkeld

Dunkeld

Dunkeld is a small town in Strathtay, Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is about 15 miles north of Perth on the eastern side of the A9 road into the Scottish Highlands and on the opposite side of the Tay from the Victorian village of Birnam. Dunkeld and Birnam share a railway station, on the...

to Spittal of Glenshee.

Another eminent visitor was Lord Cockburn, a circuit judge, and frequent guest of the Keirs.

A number of fine trees and avenues survive from in the old estate policies, including several fine Wellintonia

Sequoiadendron

Sequoiadendron giganteum is the sole living species in the genus Sequoiadendron, and one of three species of coniferous trees known as redwoods, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae, together with Sequoia sempervirens and...

s, oaks, limes lining the main drives, yews and specimen sycamores beside the River Ardle. Red squirrels are still common (2009) and the river has many hazels, birches and alders on its banks.

The 1850s 6 inches (152.4 mm) Ordnance Survey

Ordnance Survey

Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...

map shows a bowling green to have been situated near the walled garden in the sunken area running down to the River Ardle and a summer houses lay on a path down from the family cemetery.

Myths and legends

The Barons Ruadh, later Reid, were the local lairds and chiefs of the Robertson Clan. The Balvarran stone in the area has four deep cupmarks in it, anciently used for holding water to baptise the laird's son. The last chief was not baptised at the stone and this was said to be the reason for his having no son and heir.

The Giant's Grave and standing stone is at Enochdu, supposedly the burial place of Prince Ard-fhuil (meaning of high or noble blood) who was killed hereabouts, with two of his men, whilst fighting the Danes in AD 903. They were supposedly buried head to foot, 'explaining' the size of the grave. The Danes are buried at the Grey Hollow nearby.

Donal Mor and his eight daughters are said to have once lived in a house situated on what is now the lawn in front of the present day Kindrogan House. The family had built an underground kitchen in the area where they slaughtered and cooked stolen cattle, however the locals became suspicious and they were caught redhanded, banished and their home burnt down. Donal himself hid in a cave at Kindrogan Rock, however he was discovered and in desperation hanged himself at Cnoc Dhimhnuill Mhor, (Donal Mor's Knowe).

Several other standing stones and cup marked stones are located in the vicinity of Kindrogan House.

Kindrogan House is said to be home to at least three ghosts, two are women and one is that of a child.

Bird sightings checklist for the Kindrogan, Kirkmichael and Pitlochry areas

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) • Little Grebe (Tachybaptus ruficollis) • Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea) • Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) • Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) • Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) • Goosander (Mergus merganser) • Sparrowhawk (Accipiter nisus) • Buzzard (Buteo buteo) • Peregrine (Falco peregrinus) • Red Grouse (Lagopus scoticus) • Black Grouse (Tetrao tetrix) • Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) • Coot (Fulica atra) • Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) • Oystercatcher (Haematopus ostralegus) • Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola) • Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) • Curlew (Numenius arquata) • Common Sandpiper (Actitis hypoleucos) • Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus) • Common Gull (Larus canus) • Feral Pigeon (Columba livia) • Wood Pigeon (Columba palumbus) • Collared Dove (Sreptopelia decaocto) • Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) • Tawny Owl (Strix aluco) • Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) • Swift (Apus apus) • Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopus major) • Skylark (Alauda arvensis) • Sand Martin (Riparia riparia) • Swallow (Hirundo rustica) • House Martin (Delichon urbica) • Tree Pipit (Anthus trivialis) • Meadow Pipit (Anthus pratensis) • Grey Wagtail (Motacilla cinerea) • Pied Wagtail (Motacilla alba) • Dipper (Cinclus cinclus) • Wren (Troglodytes troglodytes) • Dunnock (Prunella modularis) • Robin (Erithacus rubecula) • Redstart (Phoenicurus phoenicurus) • Whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) • Stonechat (Saxicola torquata) • Wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) • Ring Ouzel (Turdus torquatus) • Blackbird (Turdus merula) • Song Thrush (Turdus philomelus) • Mistle Thrush (Turdus viscivorus) • Whitethroat (Sylvia communis) • Garden Warbler (Sylvia borin) • Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) • Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) • Goldcrest (Regulus regulus) • Spotted Flycatcher (Muscicapa striata) • Long-tailed Tit (Aegithalos caudatus) • Coal Tit (Parus ater) • Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) • Great Tit (Parus major) • Treecreeper (Certhia familiaris) • Jay (Garrulus glanarius) • Magpie (Pica pica) • Jackdaw (Corvus monedula) • Rook (Corvus frugilegus) • Carrion Crow (Corvus corone) • Raven (Corvus corax) • Starling (Sturnus vulgaris) • House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) • Chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs) • Greenfinch (Carduelis chloris) • Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis) • Siskin (Carduelis spinus) • Linnet (Carduelis cannabina) • Lesser Redpoll (Carduelis flavirostris) • Crossbill (Loxia curvirostra) • Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula) • Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus).

External links

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