Boleskine House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Boleskine House |
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Boleskine cemetery
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| General information | |
| Architectural style | Manor house |
| Town or city | Foyers |
| Country | Scotland |
| Completed | c.1760 |
Boleskine House is a famous house located on the south side of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. It is well-known because two very interesting people once lived there. One was a writer named Aleister Crowley, who was interested in unusual spiritual ideas. The other was Jimmy Page, the guitarist for the famous rock band Led Zeppelin.
Sadly, a large part of the house was destroyed by a fire in December 2015. Boleskine House is considered a special "Category B" listed building in the United Kingdom. This means it is important because of its history and culture, along with its old stables and a small cottage nearby.
Contents
History of Boleskine House
Boleskine House is about 21 miles south of Inverness, near the village of Foyers. It was built in the 1700s. Back then, it was used as a small hunting lodge or cottage. The house is right next to an old graveyard. Even before Aleister Crowley bought the house, people told stories about strange happenings in the graveyard.
Aleister Crowley's Time
Aleister Crowley bought Boleskine House in 1899 from the Archibald Fraser family. While he lived there, people spread rumors that he was involved in unusual spiritual practices and special ceremonies.
Sad things happened to his housekeeper's family while they lived at the house, including the death of two of her children. Crowley later said that he might have used too much of his special practices. He sold the house in 1913 because he was running out of money.
Jimmy Page's Connection
Jimmy Page was very interested in Aleister Crowley and had been collecting things about him. He bought Boleskine House and the land in 1970. He thought it would be a cool, spooky place to help him write new songs.
At the time, the house was in bad shape and needed many repairs. Even after he had the house fixed up, Jimmy Page did not spend much time living there. He sold the house in 1992, having lived there for less than six weeks in total.
A fantasy scene for Jimmy Page was filmed near Boleskine House. This scene was part of Led Zeppelin's movie The Song Remains the Same. It was filmed during a full moon in December 1973, showing Page climbing a mountain in the moonlight.
What Happened Later
After Jimmy Page sold it, Boleskine House was used as a guest-house for a while. In 2009, the house and its land were put up for sale again. The sale also included a part of the shoreline of Loch Ness.
New owners from the Netherlands bought it and used it as a holiday home. Today, the Boleskine House Foundation owns the property. They plan to restore the house and open it to the public in the future.
The Fire of 2015
On the afternoon of December 23, 2015, a driver passing by saw smoke and flames coming from Boleskine House. By the time firefighters arrived, almost 60 percent of the house was already burning. Flames were reaching up to 20 feet high!
The firefighters tried their best to save the west wing of the house, as the rest of the building was too badly damaged. It is believed the fire started in the kitchen, but no one was home at the time.
It is not fully known how much of Boleskine House is still standing after the fire. A previous owner said that the damage was so bad it "is unlikely it will ever be rebuilt unless there is someone out there with an interest in the occult wanting to spend a lot of money."
- Boleskine House Foundation official website www.boleskinehouse.org
Images for kids
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Boleskine Cemetery in 2007
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Boleskine Mortuary House in the graveyard in 2002
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Crowley in ceremonial clothing, 1912
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Jimmy Page in 2008
