Innes House (3)
The Innes family lived here for six centuries, from when Berowald the Fleming was granted the land by King Malcolm IV in 1160, until they sold up in 1767! This house was built in the mid-17th century, so where were the Innes family living before this? The map shows a 'motte' in the woods, a short distance to the north-east of the house and it has been suggested that Berowald built his castle there. Other's say the mound is natural and not man-made (which doesn't mean that Berowald didn't build on it). Either way, any timber built tower there may have been on the motte was gone long before this tower-house was built. Usually in situations such as this, there is a ruin nearby, or more often an earlier tower is visible, onto which extensions have been built. Canmore have the answer, discovered since Tranter's time:
Documentary evidence appears to date the construction of the house to around 1640, whereas a drawing of c.1590 implies there was a castle on the site some 50 years earlier. A detailed analysis of the structure in 1998 discovered that its history is far more complex than previously suggested. It also highlights the common practice of Scottish landowners sticking to the original site wherever possible, and adapting thriftily the structures already in place. The fabric of the house revealed that the ancient structure of the original building remains within. It has been cleverly concealed by the architect William Ayton, who gave it a mid 17th century surcoat.
Ah, the thrifty Scots!
The coastal town of Lossiemouth is just visible in the distance. The flat area in the middle distance is an old wartime airbase - RAF Milltown. It was originally built as a decoy to try to trick German bombers into bombing it rather than RAF Lossiemouth (some of the aircraft hangers for which, are visible, just below the horizon in the left distance. Eventually, with the ever increasing number of wartime aircraft, Milltown was used as an airbase itself. Although long since de-activated for flying, it is still owned by the Ministry of Defence - although I believe there are plans to built an enormous solar power plant there.
Innes House (3)
The Innes family lived here for six centuries, from when Berowald the Fleming was granted the land by King Malcolm IV in 1160, until they sold up in 1767! This house was built in the mid-17th century, so where were the Innes family living before this? The map shows a 'motte' in the woods, a short distance to the north-east of the house and it has been suggested that Berowald built his castle there. Other's say the mound is natural and not man-made (which doesn't mean that Berowald didn't build on it). Either way, any timber built tower there may have been on the motte was gone long before this tower-house was built. Usually in situations such as this, there is a ruin nearby, or more often an earlier tower is visible, onto which extensions have been built. Canmore have the answer, discovered since Tranter's time:
Documentary evidence appears to date the construction of the house to around 1640, whereas a drawing of c.1590 implies there was a castle on the site some 50 years earlier. A detailed analysis of the structure in 1998 discovered that its history is far more complex than previously suggested. It also highlights the common practice of Scottish landowners sticking to the original site wherever possible, and adapting thriftily the structures already in place. The fabric of the house revealed that the ancient structure of the original building remains within. It has been cleverly concealed by the architect William Ayton, who gave it a mid 17th century surcoat.
Ah, the thrifty Scots!
The coastal town of Lossiemouth is just visible in the distance. The flat area in the middle distance is an old wartime airbase - RAF Milltown. It was originally built as a decoy to try to trick German bombers into bombing it rather than RAF Lossiemouth (some of the aircraft hangers for which, are visible, just below the horizon in the left distance. Eventually, with the ever increasing number of wartime aircraft, Milltown was used as an airbase itself. Although long since de-activated for flying, it is still owned by the Ministry of Defence - although I believe there are plans to built an enormous solar power plant there.