“Turn right, I mean left, yes this is the road!”
“Are you sure? It says ‘Road closed ahead’”
“Yeah, well according to Google it is down here”
“Uhrm, It’s a single track road, and not a very good one, are you really sure”
“Yes, and according to the map it is in that clump of trees!” I said pointing randomly to the left
That was our conversation as we tried to find the elusive Buchanan Castle, turns out it was down the single track road, the one with the mahooosive potholes – which put poor Wanda (the campervan) to the test – she is not built for off-roading!!
But eventually after a couple of wrong turns we found what I believed to be the entrance and I made Fred stop, park up and say with excitement, it’s in there – pointing at the undergrowth. The only indication that anything was in there was a well-trodden path through some foliage and trees, but once you peered hard enough through the dense woodland you finally saw the fencing and a possible building hiding in there also!! So off we went to explore.
Buchanan Castle really wasn’t what I was expecting, it is surrounded very closely by modern residential dwellings and the golf club. The building itself, only took a few paces to reach from the space we had parked in and you were suddenly greeted with the most amazing, HUGE structural remains and a metal fence, proclaiming “unsafe”. We stood there, semi-disappointed we had come all this way, and were now not able to go explore, only to suddenly find several people walking through the ruins…. The other side of the fence!!! So we just had to find where they had entered. The rebel in me couldn’t resist exploring this building, it is massive.
So we walked the perimeter of the fence, not such an easy task as the ground is uneven, very overgrown, with trees everywhere and very much “we don’t want you here” appeal, but soon enough we found several areas where entry was possible and we ventured through – at our own risk and with great caution and respect for the dangers.
The ruin – well firstly it is massive, absolutely massive! Not only in height but in the many,
many rooms there - it just goes on and on. You can clearly see the 3 floors and the remaining walls, including chimneys which are high, really high - but then we came across cellars too.
All the ground and first floor rooms had incredibly high ceilings, incredibly impressive large windows that showed the opulence this place once had. Many of the rooms still showed the wooden laths and some even still had the lime-based plaster attached.
Unusual arched brickwork ceilings, old metal water pipes, drain hooks and decaying steel girders gave you an understanding of the sheer size and richness of this place. You really start to see the beauty of it, even as a ruin.
We walked cautiously around, awe struck. It is hard to take it all in or capture it in photos, then you have the bittersweet sadness of seeing all of this going to waste, to decay and collapse and a sadness creeps into what you are looking at. Fred’s fear of my safety kept me from exploring the spiral staircase or the cellars, much to my frustration! There was a real peace at the property, as we walked around we talked in hushed tones as did everyone else who was there exploring with us. We got a real sense that the building was at rest with its fate, and maybe we need to see this decay, these grandest of buildings being reduced to rubble and ruin, to give real appreciation of what once was and what’s still here. It’s rather humbling.
As for the history of the place, well a little research quickly told me this place has quite a bit and in actual fact only become a ruin back in 1954 when the roof was removed off the building to avoid paying tax on the property and outlying parts of the building were demolished. Prior to that it was used as a hospital during World War 2 and the most interesting part to this bit of history was that involving Rudolf Hess, Hitler’s Deputy Furher. Hess was a German politician and a leading member of the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. He was brought here after his solo flight to Scotland in 1941, where he was attempting to negotiate peace, but he ran out of fuel and had to parachute to land. He was arrested near Glasgow and was taken to Buchanan Castle for further medical treatment. Hess then spent the rest of his life under arrest and was moved to England and finally Berlin where he spent his last years imprisoned.
Buchanan Castle was built in 1852-1858 by the 4th Duke of Montrose and he commissioned William Burn to design it, and he created this extravagant manor, designed in the Scottish Baronial style. It truly is breathtaking not only for its sheer size, but the maze like corridors, the multiple floors, rooms big and small and the opulence, some of which can still be seen - from the beautiful fireplace in the last remaining room to still be relatively untouched by decay to the top floor window architecture and crests positioned on the walls outside. The “Dukes” stayed at Buchanan as a family home until 1925 when it was then sold. In 1930s it opened as a hotel and the golf course was created, subsequently more and more of the Buchanan Estate has been sold for residential use so there is very little land left around the ruin. The building still remains the seat of the Clan Graham, however I think it will soon be made inaccessible as the ever-present danger of collapse becomes too great.
Buchanan Castle, is a ruin to admire from afar but not to enter.
Thanks for reading and feel free to like and share
Fred & Em
Please note: Like any other building – be it abandoned or not - we advise the greatest of caution and ask that you use your common sense in visiting any building or structure. We would never suggest you, climb, visit or explore any property where you put yourself or others at risk. Warning signs/fences are there for a reason and we take no responsibility if you subsequently ignore them and injury or death occurs. There are fences and plenty of warnings about not stepping inside due to the many hazards this building has and it is advised that you view the building from afar or by the many YouTube videos or pictures that are already present online.
If you would like to read more on this amazing building check out https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buchanan_Castle#
Comments