Bonnie Prince Charlie’s war base to be given a new use

● Building could become offices, or bunkhouse

0 The Drummond Arms Hotel was where Bonnie Prince Charlie held his last council of war before Culloden A hotel where Bonnie Prince Charlie ate, drank and held his last council of war before his defeat at Culloden is to be brought back to use after lying derelict for several years.

The category B-listed Drummond Arms Hotel in Crieff, Perthshire, could be turned into a bunkhouse, offices or new affordable homes amid community hopes that the historic town centre property can be revived.

The hotel is where Bonnie

STORNOWAY

Prince Charlie visited on 6 February, 1746 with a heated council of war held here to thrash out plans for the march north to Inverness.

As the leaders gathered at the Drummond Arms, the troops were quartered in Doune and Dunblane awaiting orders for the final stage of the doomed uprising.

Last year a community group was awarded £17,000 by the Scottish Land Fund and Perth and Kinross Council to come up with options for the future of the historic hotel.

Douglas Westwater, executive director of Community Enterprise, said: “People feel this is an iconic building in the townscape.

“Unfortunately,

it

has become a bit of an eye sore and it is now very unsafe.”

A red plaque marks the historical significance of the hotel building, which has now become a focal point for the regeneration of Crieff.

Mr Westwater has been working with residents since December to find a new use for the Drummond Arms.

Further work will be carried out to develop each option, including turning it into a bunkhouse or low-cost accommodation for tourists.

“This might be a positive use of the Drummond Arms but detailed technical work will be required to scope out the viability of these ideas,” Mr Westwater said.

Crieff was largely destroyed by Jacobites during the first uprising when around 350 soldiers set fire to key buildings on 26 January 1716.

In 1731, James Drummond, third Duke of Perth, began a mass rebuilding project which included the new hotel.

Accordingtojamesbrowne’s 1852 History of the Highlands, the Council of War held in Crieff was a turbulent one with infighting rife over the direction of the rebellion.

“At no former meeting did heats and party animosities break out to such an extent as at this council,” Browne said.

While in Crieff, it is also known Bonnie Prince Charlie had his horse shod at the blacksmiths in King Street.