Novar House facts for kids
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Novar House is a large house built in the 1700s. It is located near the village of Evanton in Ross, Scotland. The house stands on the same spot where an older castle once stood.
History of Novar House
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The Munro family, who owned Novar House, came from a branch of the Clan Munro called the Munros of Novar. They acquired the lands of the Novar Estate in 1589. At that time, the Novar lands covered a large area, including part of what is now known as Fyrish.
An old stone from 1634 is built into the side of the original Novar House. This part is now the west side of the inner courtyard. The house was made much bigger in 1720 by Hector Munro, the 4th owner from the Novar family. He added a three-storey building facing south.
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The current Novar House and its estate were mostly created by Sir Hector Munro, 8th of Novar (1726–1805). He became very successful and wealthy as an officer in the British Army, fighting in India. Old maps called the area 'Tenuer', which means 'house of the giant' in Gaelic.
Sir Hector Munro rebuilt and changed the house into a grand classical square shape after he returned from India in 1765. He added a large ballroom with a special gallery where musicians could play. The main design of the house we see today was set out in plans from 1777 and 1778. Sir Hector also made big improvements to the land. He planted many trees, including about 778,000 fir and Scots pine trees between 1788 and 1792. The woodlands have been cared for and replanted by later owners. The eastern lands of Fyrish were also added to the Novar estate in the 1700s, making the estate even larger.
Sir Hector Munro's sons sadly died in India. One was killed by a tiger, and the other by a shark in the Bay of Bengal. Because of this, the estate passed to his daughter, Jean Munro, after his nephew died. Jean Munro married Ronald Ferguson.
Today, Novar is a busy estate still owned and managed by the Munro Ferguson family. The Novar Estate covers about 20,000 acres (80 square kilometers). It includes farming, forestry, open hills, and traditional country sports like fishing. There are also over 150 miles of paths and tracks. The estate has a hydroelectric power scheme and was home to the first wind farm in the Highlands.
Assynt House
Assynt House is another old house built in the Georgian style. It was originally built as a dower house for Novar House. A dower house is a smaller home for the widow of the estate's owner.
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor, spent part of their honeymoon at Assynt House.
Later, Assynt House was home to the artist Lady Isobel Blunt-Mackenzie (1922–1962). She was the sister of the 4th Earl of Cromartie.
By 2002, the house had become quite run down. However, it has since been fully repaired and now operates as a luxurious holiday home that people can rent.
See also
