Dunans Castle facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dunans Castle
Dunans Castle viewed from the road, the still residential Dunans House is visible on the left.
General information
Status	Fire damaged ruin
Type	Mock castle
Location	Glendaruel, Cowal Peninsula, Argyll and Bute
Town or city	Colintraive
Country	Scotland, United Kingdom
Coordinates	56°04′21″N 5°08′59″W / 56.072485°N 5.1496005°W / 56.072485; -5.1496005, National
Owner	Charles Selwyn Dixon-Spain & Sadie Michaela Dixon-Spain

Dunans Castle is an old building found in Glendaruel, Scotland. It's on the Cowal peninsula in Argyll and Bute. The castle is currently owned by Charles and Sadie Dixon-Spain.

Maps from 1590 show a property called Dounens here. The original Dunans House was made to look like a castle in 1864. It was once part of a much bigger estate. Today, the property includes about 16 acres of land. In 2001, a fire badly damaged the castle.

History of Dunans Castle

For over 200 years, Dunans was home to the Fletcher Clan. A clan is a group of families linked by a common ancestor. The Fletchers moved to the site between 1715 and 1745. They even brought the door from their old home, Achallader Castle, with them! This door was used for a private chapel.

The original house was like a large mansion. It was later made much bigger by architect Andrew Kerr. He added four main rooms and six bedrooms. This turned it into the dramatic "castle" you see today. It looks like a French-style castle.

The Fletcher family stopped owning the building in 1997. The entire 3000-acre Dunans estate was sold by Colonel Archibald Fletcher's family. After that, the estate was split up.

On January 14, 2001, a fire badly damaged the castle. At the time, it was being used as a hotel. The fire started in the attic of the castle part. It destroyed three floors. Only the older west wing, built before the Victorian era, was not damaged. The building was left as a ruin.

Now, under new owners, the site is being restored. This includes old Victorian paths. The Dunans Charitable Trust helps with this work. People say the castle has three ghosts living there!

Dunans Castle Today

Dunans Castle Limited runs a website called ScottishLaird.com. In 2014, they published a plan to restore the castle and its bridge. This plan was written by an expert architect named Robin Kent.

The castle is still listed on the Buildings at Risk Register for Scotland. This means it is in poor condition and needs a lot of work. A local blog called ForArgyll.com is run from the site. Also, a group called the Walking Theatre Company operates from here.

The Bridge and Mausoleum

A famous bridge called Dunans Bridge leads to the castle. It was designed by a well-known engineer, Thomas Telford, in 1815. John Fletcher had it built to remember the battle of Waterloo. This bridge is a very important historical structure.

The Fletcher of Dunans Mausoleum was once part of the Dunans estate. A mausoleum is a building that holds the remains of dead people. This one is still owned by the Fletcher family. It is located in the gardens of a nearby house called Stronardron.

Other buildings that used to be part of the estate are now privately owned. These include Dunans Lodge, which was the original gatehouse. There's also Dunans Cottage, which was two workers' homes combined into one.

Scottish Laird Scheme

The current owners of Dunans Castle have a special program. People can buy or be given "Laird or Lady packages." This means they can "own" a small square foot of land in the castle grounds. With this, they can use the title "Laird of Dunans" or "Lady of Dunans." A laird is a Scottish landowner. The money from these sales helps to restore the castle.

However, it's important to know that these titles are mostly for fun. The Court of the Lord Lyon is Scotland's official authority on titles and coats of arms. They have said that owning a small "souvenir plot" of land is not enough to make someone a real laird. It doesn't give them special rights or allow them to get a coat of arms.

Also, the Scottish Land Register does not officially recognize ownership of such tiny plots. This means that buying these titles does not give you legal ownership of the land. You also don't get to use the land. These titles are just for decoration.

Images for kids

• 

  This device, bearing the motto LECHADHU, represents the strong ties between the Fletcher Clan and the Stewarts of Appin.

• 

  Dunans Cottage

Gallery