Centuries old Scottish mansion once owned by Tennent's chief now lies in ruins

Daily Record

14-05-2025

The estate has had some legendary owners down the years.
Venture approximately 18 miles west of Pitlochry in Perthshire this summer, and you might stumble upon a sight that is both extraordinary and deeply affecting. Standing stark against the landscape are the skeletal remnants of what was once a magnificent mansion, Dunalastair House.
From a distance, it retains a semblance of its former imposing structure, but a closer approach reveals nothing but a grand ruin, a haunting shell of stone and memory.
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The site, while haunting, has recently become a point of interest for explorers. It is perhaps surprising to learn that less than a hundred years ago, this now derelict building served a significant purpose, operating as a school for Polish children.
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The history of the Dunalastair Estate stretches back centuries, originating with the ownership by Clan Donnachaidh, also known as Clan Robertson. The Robertson family held control of the estate in and around the area.
A prominent figure linked to the site was the great poet chieftain, Alexander Robertson of Struan, a staunch Jacobite.
He is believed to have resided in a house known as the Hermitage, thought to have been located on or close to the present Dunalastair site.
This earlier structure was destroyed by fire following the 1745 Jacobite uprising. Subsequently, around 1800, a double tower house, known as Mount Alexander, was constructed on the site.
The Robertson clan's direct control continued until 1853. In that year, George Duncan Robertson, the 18th Chief, sold the property to General Sir John Macdonald of Dalchosnie.
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According to the Dunalastair Estate website, General Sir John Macdonald chose to demolish the building then on the site and constructed his own residence, the structure whose remains are visible today.
Several decades later, the estate was sold again by Alastair Macdonald, son of Sir John, to Hugh Tennent. Hugh was the great great grandson of the founder of the Wellpark Brewery, now known as Tennent's brewery.
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Hugh would revolutionise the popular beer after being inspired by trips to Bavaria in Germany, the first of which he made in 1881, the same year he bought Dunalastair House.
Tennent's Lager, as we know it today, was first brewed at Wellpark in 1885. Despite his success, Hugh died aged 27 in 1890, having owned Dunalastair for just nine years.
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The following year, in 1891, the house and estate were acquired by James Clark Bunten, who was the Chairman of the Caledonian Railway Company and is the great grandfather of the current owner. However, from this period, Dunalastair began to experience a decline.
This was particularly noticeable after the onset of World War One, when the large staff required to maintain such a property became increasingly scarce.
During the Second World War, the estate found a temporary new purpose as a school for the children of Polish refugees. Despite this, its decline continued into the 1950s, exacerbated by a fire around this time.
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In the 1950s, the house's contents and furniture were sold off. Its condition worsened considerably in the 1960s following significant vandalism and the theft of lead from the roof, leading to its current state of complete disrepair.
Currently, although various proposals have been made for the restoration of the house, the high costs involved have thus far prevented any such projects from proceeding.