Category: Dunans Castle

Our Lairds and Ladies form a huge community of interest around the restoration of Dunans Castle. The website sells gift packages and merchandise, most of the latter being based on our very own ‘Dunans Rising’ tartan.

Thinking about Christmas? We’ve a New Groupon UK offer from the 13th September!

We’re always delighted to work with Groupon, and this offer is no exception. There will be an opportunity to take up this offer until 2nd October, so plenty of time, and nice and early for Christmas!

Groupon offers like this have proved particularly important to the restoration project as they have brought us to a much wider market in the UK, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. Without Groupon for example we would not have been able to move forward with the Conservation Plan as quickly, nor provided the match-funding for the restoration of the bridge.

For more information on what we are planning we have books, a Lairds and Ladies site, as well as the Dunans Castle Limited site.

(And for those of you who wonder about the technology which underpins our endeavours, we use a self-hosted WordPress blog, the wp e-commerce plugin and some very nifty proprietory addons to both – which enable both these offers and our other online operations.

We’re always innovating technically of course, and that’s one of my skills – I find the manipulation of mysql, php, css, etc. to make us a more efficient operation endlessly fascinating … for example, I have just realised that when entering voucher codes into our database, creating individual queries for each code is much more efficient – reducing input time from three hours to half an hour – more time to concentrate on the restoration project!)

 

Gloriously Sunny September Sunday at Dunans

We’re awaiting the arrival of contractors for the investigatory works on the bridge, a meeting with the architect, and the reports on laser and bat surveys. In the meantime I am writing the business plan the bridge in order to consolidate the funding application to Historic Scotland. Its concentrated desk work, and for relief I took a walk in the pasture at the back of the castle yesterday, these photos are the result.

Travelling to Dunans by taxi: We’re recommending two drivers from Dunoon who provide a great service!

Following discussions with local transport providers we have decided it is about time to make some recommendations for Lairds and Ladies travelling to and from Dunans from Dunoon (and further afield as well).

Over the last couple of years we have been delighted at the service that Taxi George ( 07913 601442) has provided to both our friends and Lairds and Ladies. One of his first trips was with newly weds from California – and they couldn’t recommend his tour more. The photo above is taken on the way to Tighnabruaich with our dear friend Emma.

We also recommend David Morrison (07974597564).

In both cases we know our Lairds and Ladies will get a fair deal for the right price. We’ve left their details etc. on the “Visiting Dunans” page on our Lairds and Ladies website.

 

The Bridge gets a shave and we finally meet “Speak-no-evil” and “Hear-no-evil” our beautiful gargoyles!

Bank Holiday weekend and we persuaded some friends to volunteer their climbing and rope-access skills to help us begin the process of restoring the bridge to its former glory. Working flat out Pos, Trish, Rory, Diana, Dan, Georgie, and H made a real difference to the structure. Thanks to everyone for their efforts.

One of the highlights was finding  that the Gargoyles are indeed a set of three: from the photo below we have “Speak no evil” nearest us, with his hand over his mouth and “Hear no evil”, with her hand over her ear, in the middle. We presume that “See no evil” is the one closest to the road, but we couldn’t get to her in the time we had available – although Trish nearly got there!

What we have also established is that they are beautifully carved in great detail – we’ll try and get some detailed shots soon!

gargoyles

Castle imaged in extraordinary detail: First image from 3D laser scanner by AOC!

Dunans_0008_smlAOC have just posted a picture of their survey online: here it is and this is what they say about their work:

To fully understand the building and aid the restoration process, AOC was commissioned to undertake a detailed measured survey of the building comprising elevation drawings and floor plans (as much as these could be gained from the present access). By using a 3D laser scanner to complete the work, AOC’s team were able to complete the survey in a single day. 33 scans were completed in total with a final sampled pointcloud of 75 million points, creating a wonderful 3D image of the castle’s exterior. The problems with access to the interior were also partially overcome as the laser managed to shoot through the roofless entrance lobby and upper level windows to identify the basic floor plan; even internal features such as second floor fireplaces were identified, now hanging in mid-air after the collapse of the floor beams within. The survey was accompanied by over 900 high-resolution digital photographs of the external features of the castle to aid the survey and create a detailed record for use during the restoration programme.

To learn more about AOC please visit them here.

Flying the Flag at Dunans: Lairds and Ladies can now have their very own Dunans Flag!

IMG_1777We’re delighted to announce that we are now selling the Dunans flag from the Scottish Laird website, here!

The flag which was first raised yesterday is a reflection of the Dunans Rising tartan and includes the Lairds’ and Ladies’ tartan logo at the centre of the Saltire cross. And yes, of course it also celebrates Scotland and its wonderful heritage!

Puffballs, Bats and Statements of Requirement: Building Momentum at Dunans this August

IMG_1697While the last couple of weeks have included a well-earned break, we have also been working hard on the next stage of the Dunans project. In fact, if truth be told, the whole thing is rather taking off!!

The image shows what look like puffball mushrooms on the main lawn at Dunans, but are in fact essential placemarkers for the laser survey AOC carried out on Thursday. The results of which we’ll post as soon as possible.

The same day, well, evening we had the first of our ecological surveys, with 6 bat spotters onsite until 11 pm, recording all the bats that spin about our belfry!

And this Friday, myself, Robin (our architect) and Sadie went through statement of requirements for castle and ScottishLaird office. These are essential pre-requisites before the designing of space begins – a design which will use the laser survey as its basis.

An Epic Turtle: Vitrified prehistoric turtle discovered in the upper reaches of the River Ruel at Dunans

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On Saturday last, intrepid explorers made an extraordinary find in the River Ruel, just yards downstream from Dunans Bridge. On the sun-dappled riverbed, as if basking by a natural pool, the huge stone turtle was discovered by noted playwright and owner of Dunans Castle, Sadie Dixon-Spain. As she was later to remark, it is “an epic turtle”.

To purchase Sadie’s latest play, “The Alloway Rap”, please visit ScottishLaird.com

Tender for the Bridge in hand: We’ve just received the specifications for the first stage of the restoration of Dunans Bridge

Robin Kent, our architect, has just sent over these plans for the first stage of works to the bridge. The works will include two trial pits, with one being dug nearly through the structure. There will be scaffolding to shore up the deeper pit, and there will also be investigations into the construction of the top of the buttress so we can work out how to proceed with them.

This is all very exciting and presages works beginning sometime in August for a week or so, as necessary.

Here’s the plan and the elevation showing where and how the works will be executed (they are copyright Robin Kent Ltd. and may not be reproduced without permission from the architect).

elevbridge-tender planbridge-tender

New Signage to Welcome our Visitors: Fàilte do na Dùnanan

In the ongoing redesign of our signage, I have now got to the one which welcomes folk to Dunans. A bilingual sign, I’ve taken the opportunity to tie the whole visual aesthetic into the Dunans Rising tartan, as displayed in the logo middle top. I have also add a Tours panel and shown where to find the Lairds’ and Ladies’ plots. Parking areas are now also marked, and we’ve also got the route to the front of the castle in place. The non-public areas are also shown to avoid confusion, as is the site office – from which the business is run too.

failtedonadunanans

This is also the sign which will initiate the marking out of the paths (finally). As you can see we have chosen white and purple and will mark the routes accordingly – so no more getting lost in the wilds of Dunans!!

I’ll show our markers when done – the purple is called ‘Summer Damson’…

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