DOWN MEMORY LANE: Bught House, a two-storey 18th- century Georgian mansion in Inverness
Bught House, a two-storey 18th- century Georgian mansion which was latterly a hotel, is now just a memory as it was pulled down in 1967 to make way for Inverness Ice Rink, writes Bill McAllister.
But it leaves a pleasing legacy – as its high-walled garden now harbours the city’s Botanic Gardens, which have attracted 60,000 visitors since reopening in April.
The 1878 Ordnance Survey described the former mansion as “a commodious residence with extensive gardens and outbuildings, in good repair and occupied by the proprietor Duncan Grant.”
Before then it was the home of a General MacIntyre who wandered daily down to the Ness beside the islands bridge to drink the spring water from the ancient well there, long known as The General’s Well.
It is debatable whether the mansion, whose 19th-century additions included a projecting entrance wing and Victorian-style battlements, would have been allowed to be demolished nowadays. In the 1950s and early 1960s, the Bught Hotel was a favourite for wedding receptions and the post-match haunt of Welfare League footballers.
Prince Edward opened what was Inverness Floral Hall and Gardens in 1993, but it has been renamed and enhanced under High Life Highland, whose gardens manager Ewan MacKintosh gave me a stimulating tour.
“The gardens’ carnivorous plants enjoyed lockdown”, he smiled, “because no one kept sticking their fingers in!”
The Wollemi Pine, only discovered in Australia 25 years ago, is a prehistoric tree located close to the Simba Garden in memory of infants who have died. Less than 100 examples are known to exist worldwide.
As well as a splendid stroll the venue produces its own apples, chard, tomatoes, basil and mint and, from the Tropic House, pineapples, bananas and chillies, all used in the Botanics Café.
In addition, children using the adjacent pool are allowed to take a free apple supplied by the gardens.
A new toolshed has also been built from trees chopped down in the construction of the West Link bypass and there are plans for an extensive new orchard to be planted later this autumn.
“We’re working with local voluntary groups Incredible Edibles and Inverness Foodstuffs in terms of fruit planting”, Ewan said.
I met John Reid (79), an ex-Rolls Royce engineer, who is one of a team of 31 volunteers whose role is crucial to the gardens. John was sanding, repainting and polishing ornate metalwork to give it new life.
“It’s wonderful to have the energy and expertise of these volunteers,” Ewen said. “For instance, we now have a medicinal garden thanks to Daniela Janssens, a Czechoslovakian specialist in plants, who spent hundreds of hours growing, identifying and labelling plants with medical applications.”
The city centre floral baskets were made in the Botanic Gardens and it has also created crests of twin towns La Baule, St Valery and Augsburg in addition to more baskets for Oban BID.
“High Life Highland have earmarked £200,000 for new glass greenhouses, which will further extend our potential”, Ewen said.”We plan to allow access to community groups to enjoy and monitor its development.”
Half the space in the gardens is tended by 25 adults with learning difficulties, employed in the GROW Project – Garden Recycle Organic Wildlife – an inspirational venture where they gain training and a wage in a healthy, peaceful setting.
The gardens where General MacIntyre once strolled are now a fruitful, enduring city asset.
Sponsored by Ness Castle Lodges.
