Dunans Castle

Dunans Castle, Argyll and Bute .

Dunans Castle - Photo © Elliott Simpson, 21 May 2002

History

The castle was originally home to the Fletcher Clan who moved to the site c.1745 carrying with them the door of their previous home at Achallader Castle. The original mansion-style house (to the left in the picture) was converted into its present dramatic Franco-baronial form by the architect Andrew Kerr and consisted of four main apartments and 6 bedrooms. The building passed out of Fletcher hands in 1997. The B-listed castle was gutted by fire on 14 January 2001 while being run as a hotel and the building was left as a ruin. Now under new ownership, the site, including a Victorian path network, is undergoing an extensive program of restoration aided by the Scottish Laird project and the Dunans Charitable Trust.

Bridge & Mausoleum

Dunans Bridge is an A-listed structure, designed by Thomas Telford in 1815 and constructed to commemorate the battle of Waterloo. The three-arched rubble construction is considered internationally important as it is the only extant bridge of this type. It stands over 15 metres from the river bed and has been voted one of Scotland's ten best bridges.

Associated with the site, but still in the ownership of the Fletchers is the Fletcher Mausoleum, a grade C listed structure.

The Stronardron Douglas Fir

Also associated with the site is the tallest tree in the UK, the Stronardron Douglas Fir. This tree, standing at 83.79 metres was originally planted by Archibald Fletcher in 1848-9 as part of a stand intended to frame views to and from Dunans Castle.

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