Boleskine House charity buys coach house and remaining estate lands
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A CHARITY working to rebuild a fire-ravaged country mansion beside Loch Ness has bought the old estate’s last remaining land and buildings.
The Boleskine House Foundation announced this evening it had taken ownership of another 3.5 hectares of property for £165,000.
A former trustee William Banks, who had bought the land containing the old coach house and stables in his own name in 2019, agreed to the sale after giving the Foundation first right of refusal.
Trustees Kyra and Keith Readdy are leading the effort to restore Boleskine House to its former glory.
Previously the home of occultist Aleister Crowley and rock star Jimmy Page, it was acquired from Dutch owners last year after a devastating fire tore through the uninsured building in 2015.
The historic Georgian house, once a clan seat of the Frasers, was then hit by a second fire in July, shortly after the purchase, which brought down surviving sections of roof.
The new purchase secures the category B-listed building to the east of the main building, as well as grounds mainly between it and the estate driveway, including grazing land and an old piggery.
Ms Readdy said: “These lands, including all buildings thereon, are now within the formal ownership of the charity.
“We would like to extend our thanks to former trustee William Banks for selling these lands to the charity.
"These are the last of the original Boleskine lands which have been for sale. Of course, the estate was once much larger, but the purchase is a significant addition to the charity which can then preserve these lands for the public benefit for the future.
"It's a very significant development as the land was well-suited to housing development. We purchased it to stop this happening."
Having invested heavily in the new purchase, The Boleskine House Foundation has begun a new fundraising drive for donations to help pay for stone work in the original house.
Ms Readdy added: "I gave £165,000 to the charity as a gift and in turn the charity purchased the land and completed the purchase today.
"That's one of the reasons we are fundraising again – the budget we had set aside for stone work has now gone on this land.
"But it is an extremely important transaction. Being so close to Boleskine House, the charity realistically had to have this land."
Donations can be made at https://www.boleskinehouse.org/funding-and-donations/
