THE FAIRYTALE ON THE FORTH
Delightfully restored castle was once Rob Roy’s hiding place
IT’S a fairytale castle in the forest, steeped in legend.
But when Oliver and Frances Bigwood laid eyes on it in 2010, 16th Century Duchray Castle at Aberfoyle was little more than a dilapidated fortress surrounded by an 80 acre estate.
Rather than being overwhelmed by the effort needed to breathe new life into the wildly romantic house, the couple set to work.
And inspired by the back drop of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, they devoted two years to a painstaking restoration project, doing much of the work themselves while at the same time raising two small children.
Speaking from the B-Listed castle – now a sumptuous home and a luxury wedding venue and B&B – property developer Oliver says: “It was in a terrible state of repair.
“The roof was leaking and there were pots everywhere to catch the rain.
“We planned to live in the gate lodge and had to get that ready first before we could contemplate moving into the castle – even the lodge took months to dry out.”
At the time their youngest child Austin was just six months old and their daughter Florence was two-and-a-half.
With the stone masonry taken on by Oliver and the joinery by Tam McLennan, work began.
Oak from the estate was used to replace and restore beams, lintels and the gothic arched windows which, with the turret and forest setting, lend the castle its fairytale character.
Inside, the castle features a dining hall with vaulted
ceiling and exposed stone walls and fireplace. And its triple-aspect Great Hall boasts a Duchray oak beamed ceiling, oak wall panelling and wood burning stove in an impressive fireplace.
The building now combines outstanding period detailing with contemporary comforts.
Was it worth the mammoth effort?
“Absolutely!” beams a proud Oliver, his eyes taking in the country pile which had remained in the same family from 1569 until the 1940s and is said to have once harboured Rob Roy MacGregor while he was evading a party of Redcoats.
The story – noted by Sir Walter Scott – goes that the fugitive hero was a helped to safety by the daughters of the house.
But with the Bigwoods’ vision now a reality, they are planning to leave the home that has been a labour of love.
“My wife is expecting our third child in October,” Oliver reveals.
“It will make it hard to run the business and we can’t live here without it.”
The couple are prepared to hand over their dream to someone else and are marketing the property through Savills for offers over £1.75 million.
Duchray can double as a home and a business venture, with a self-contained two-bedroom annex and a separate, fully renovated Victorian stone gate lodge on the estate which is marketed as a holiday let.
The 80-acre estate includes gardens, meadows and woodland, with Duchray Water, the main tributary of the River Forth, running through it and offering 12 miles of fishing rights (included in the sale.)
But this is not a remote existence; this captivating country residence is only 30 miles from Glasgow and Stirling.
And it’s a magical world just waiting for a new custodian to take up the mantle.