Re: Colquhoun Castle in Scottland
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In reply to:
Colquhoun Castle in Scottland
5/12/99
I'm going to attempt to write this without a dictionary or my address book in front of me, so every spelling of every name in this message should be considered open to question, but the facts should be ok.The house of which you speak (actually, more correctly the land) is called Rossdubh (meaning black headland). The old castle on the land was almost torn down (a portion of the keep remains) andthe stones from the castle were used to build the house.The house is lovely, by the way. The rooms are large with many windows, and the walls are covered with silk screened panels from China; the entry has an imposing stairwell.The lands are on a 99 year lease to the Loch Lomond Golf Club, which has put something like $4 million into the renovation and restoration of the property so far.The house has been completely renovated, and the rooms have been restored as closely as possible to the look the house had when it was open for tours.The furniture was recovered with fabric closely matching the original, and the paintings on the walls are copies of the originals.The golf course was designed by Tom Weiskopf, and it is tough, but beautiful.It winds toward and away from Loch Lomond, and the 18th fairway aims straight at the castle ruins. The first world invitational golf tournament was held there in 1997. The golf club has built one hotel on the grounds, but will build individual cottages around the course rather than expanding to another hotel.
On the grounds, up the hill behind the house,are the remains of a private chappel in which several members of the Colquhoun family are buried.
On the grounds, up the hill behind the house,are the remains of a private chappel in which several members of the Colquhoun family are buried. The impressive gates of the estate front on the M (a roadway), and visitors may turn off and park in order to get photographs of the gates, which are topped by the Colquhoun coat of arms.Entrance to the grounds is not through the front gate, however, but through the side entrance on the road from Luss.The gatekeepers are generally kind to members of the Colquhoun clan, unless there is a golf tournament in progress.