Inverailort House, Lochailort

Hi Joe,

Very good news!
I am in contact with Macdonald (also on this forum) who is in contact with your employer Venture Trust about the house and activities that he and his group could and would like to deploye there. I have told him of your post in a pm, so he might contact you. Perhaps you could send him a message as well and link up your activities. Who knows what sort of "Combined Operations" may develop from that. If it saves the house, all the better!

Keep us posted!

Regards,

Jack

Hi Jack,

Do you know who you spoke to in Venture Trust?

I'm meeting with my head of operations tomorrow. I could mention it to him.

Take care for now

Joe

Hi Joe,

I haven't spoken to anyone in Venture Trust, but I have been in contact with the owner of Inverailort House, Hugh Maclaren. He told me in a letter that Venture Trust is interested in the house.

Paul Macdonald has been in touch with Venture Trust and they were keen to accommodate groups like the one he is running for future training events at the house. They also accepted their offer of fundraising support for the house.

Paul told me that there should be a meeting soon of all interested parties about initial plans for the house and he has been invited to this.

So I suggest you get in contact with Paul and ask him to whom he has spoken to within Venture Trust.

All the best,

Jack

I promised to keep you all updated on the developmenst regarding Inverailort House. I received a mail last Friday from Venture Trust. See the mail below. As Joe said in his post: things are going in the right direction I believe!

Dear Mr. Bakker
I hope you don?t mind me contacting you, Hugh Maclaren at Inverailort House passed on your details. We are currently investigating the possibility of taking on Inverailort House with the view to using this as a base for the wilderness-based personal development work we do and also to provide this a centre of respite and training for ex-army personnel. We have been in talks with Hugh and he suggested that we contact you to further explore your interest in this historic building. Greg Barton, Chief Executive, would be keen to speak to you ? do you have a contact number that he could call you on?

Alternatively he can be reached in office hours (9am ? 5pm, Mon to Fri) on the number below.

I look forward to hearing from you in due course

With best wishes

Tory

Victoria Harper
PA to Chief Executive / Office Manager
Venture Trust

This is great news Jack, early days yet but well done.

Nick

This message was edited 5 times. Last update was at 23/08/2012 14:26:04

John Martin, nephew of Sgt Don Martin of 1 trp No.4 Cdo has sent in this mesage along with 2 photos. I have placed the one with Mrs Pauline Cameron-Head and Major Donald Gilchrist in our Commando Association album (Gatherings pre CVA).

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/Commando+Gatherings+pre+CVA/reunions/pauline+and+donald+gilchrist.jpg.html

Would the attached photos be worth adding to the photos you have on the site of Inverailort Castle, which housed the HQ of the Special Training Centre set up at Loch Ailort in 1940, before training was centered on Achnacarry? They show Mrs Pauline Cameron-Head and Major Donald Gilchrist (4 Cdo). Mrs Cameron-Head was living in Inverailort Castle at the time that it was requisitioned. Largely, I believe, at the insistence of Lord Lovat who was posted there as a fieldcraft instructor, Mrs Cameron-Head was allowed to remain in residence. She told me that Lord Lovat showed her how to fire a revolver on the lawn outside! Some fifteen or twenty years ago, the Scottish Commando Association decided that Mrs Cameron-Head should be awarded the green beret for all that she did for Commandos undergoing training at Loch Ailort. I was fortunate enough to go along with Major Gilchrist when he made the presentation to her. I remember her as a remarkable and characterful lady.(Major Gilchrist, as well as taking part in the Dieppe operation and the Normandy landings, served at one point as adjutant at Achnacarry.) As will be apparent elsewhere on this site, Inverailort is now in a very sad state of repair, some years after Mrs Cameron-Head's death. We visited it two weeks ago.

To all concerned about the future of Inverailort House / Inverailort Castle...

I was raised in Lochailort and spent 6 years of my childhood working at the 'Castle' for Mrs Cameron Head. From the age of 11 to 16 years I worked there part time on weekends and during school holidays doing all sorts of jobs from weeding to cutting logs, gardening and helping the stalkers with their venison buthery and / or assisting 'Granny Annie' in the kitchen.

I have extremely fond memories of the place and all who came and stayed there. Very often I was the one tasked to help prepare the ballroom for weddings and forthcoming events for overseas visitors, private dinner parties in the dining room or visiting local dignitaries?. At that time the building was extremely well kept and in a very good state of repair.

I left Lochailort and joined the Royal Navy at the age of 16 and saw active service in the Falklands conflict in '82. After 8 years I left the R.N.and began working in London where I have been residing for the past 20+ years - 15 of which has been running my own building and property renovation / maintenance company for high profile individuals and companies.

I have recently returned to live in my own home here in Lochailort and have often dreamed of renovating Inverailort House as a major project. It needs massive investment and would take a number of years to complete. It is very sad that it has been allowed to fall into such a ruinous state, but Barbara simply cannot cope with the volume of building issues and economically neither of the nephews are in a position (as I understand) to do much to help either.

I would like it to be known to all those who are interested in getting Inverailort House restored back to it's former glory, that I would be honoured and feel extremely privileged if I could be involved in any way in helping to bring about this process.

Yours sincerely
Gary Burton
Tel 01687 470 222
E-mail [email protected]

Hi Gary,

Local experience and expertise - that's exactly what this project needs.
I really do hope that it gets off the ground and that someone involved takes you up on your kind offer.

Yours Aye,
Nick

Thank you Nick. It would be a privilage to be iinvolved in some way. I live less than a mile from Inverailort House so it would not be far to go to work!! Lets hope the ball is rolling now and momentum will gather pace with help from Venture Trust. Am certain there are many people far and wide with some connection or memories of this little hamlet who would / could offer various skills and expertise too...

Have you heard of the local publication called the WEST WORD?

http://www.road-to-the-isles.org.uk/westword/

It's a long running local newsletter / paper / magazine and it's readership reaches many continents. Just a thought and not sure how it could help, but it may be a good platform for the cause, and also quite certain that some of the pictures you have posted here would be well received -particularly those of Mrs Cameron Head.

Happy to host a meeting at my place if ever the need arises.

Regards
Gary

By the looks of it, two years have passed since the last posting ... is there any news of progress etc. I am sure that Forum readers / CVA Members would love to know. Regards and wishing all involved good luck! Mike

Gentlemen,

Forgive lack of all communication in recent months and years - I have been very busy renovating my own house in Lochailort and happy to say we are now up and running as a luxury Bed and Breakfast.

You may recall my story - that I grew up here in Lochailort as a child and worked at Inverailort Castle during weekends and school holidays. Having left home and joined the Royal Navy at 16 I have been absent from Lochailort for over 30 years.

In relation to Inverailort House / Castle, I am sad to report that it continues to deteriorate at a fairly rapid pace. Joe - who previously posted here, along with Venture Trust, are no longer interested or able to move things forward. I am in fairly regular contact with the owners - the MacLaren family and I feel from discussions with them that the only way forward would be for a private purchase to be made. I know that Mr MacLaren would be interested in offers to purchase the building as there is no money in the family pot to do anything with it.

It would now take some considerable amount of money, time, devotion, patience and passion to save this historic monument from it's current inevitable demise. Having said that - it is not beyond hope. I feel if there were sufficient private or interested organisations / parties then a lottery application may well be the way forward.

I would welcome thoughts from any interested people with a view to forming a committee to try and resurrect this beautiful and historic building, or with anyone interested in putting forward funds to make a private purchase.

Many thanks
Gary Burton
01687 470 222
E-Mail [email protected]

Chance for Change are supporting an initiative to help restore Inverailort House.

Jack Bakker has sent this link to a really nice video that they have made and added to their website.

As Jack says - it really makes you want to be there.

Here is a link to the latest version of the video:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4e_cIFMkaw7Y3RuOG1obnVQMXc/edit?usp=sharing

Geoff
Thanks for posting this - the scenery is as spectacular as ever. It is a shame more of the history could not be communicated as it is such a special place - That said, the initiative is fantastic, time for any video clip would probably be too short and job creation is to be applauded. Any plans to assist those requiring respite/convalescence must also be encouraged. Lets hope it succeeds.
Mike

What a fine video!!

I can imagine F&S tumbling down the stairs.........the place has many ghosts .......and it is important it is saved.

good luck to the project

regards

John M

Yes - a very good and well composed video. Of course there could always be more, but I think it's as good a starting point as any and I do hope the outcome will be positive. I have been contacted by C4C with regards to this and can only say that all concerned and interested parties need to spread the word as far and as wide as we can in the hope that the money will come..