PICTURES: Restoration of Boleskine House near Loch Ness progresses with clearance work
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A CHARITABLE company striving to rebuild a fire-stricken mansion above the southern shores of Loch Ness has taken a step forward with major clearance work.
Members of the Boleskine House Foundation, which bought the 200-year-old building and estate grounds last year, have removed around 18,000kg of fire-damaged material from the oratory room.
That part of the building is believed to be where Aleister Crowley, the occultist and author, wrote some of his works while living there from 1899 and 1913.
B-listed Boleskine House, originally built by Archibald Fraser and family in the 18th century, was later owned by Led Zeppelin rock star Jimmy Page in the 1970s and 1980s.
It was sold by Dutch owners last year after a blaze tore through the uninsured private home in 2015.
A second fire in July last year, believed to have been started maliciously, destroyed the remaining section of roof.
The Boleskine Foundation’s GoFundMe page has so far raised £23,500 towards a £220,000 target to help fund restoration work.
It wants to restore the building and grounds, near Foyers, to their former glory and then open them to the public.
Trustee Kyra Readdy posted photographs of the most recent work on social media, detailing the clearance of the building’s circular bay room.
Walls of solid granite, 12ft tall, still stand.
Many original mouldings have been uncovered from what was the fire-damaged remains inside the room. This building was enlarged by Archibald Fraser and is one of the oldest in the Loch Ness area.
Ms Readdy’s post read: “The clearance of the famous oratory room is now complete. Look at the difference!
“Keep watching our social media platforms this week as we announce some of the discoveries found in the rubble.”
