Duchal Castle

Duchal Castle in Kilmacolm, Scotland

We have visited the remains of Duchal Castle in the past, but it is always interesting to return to a location to see how it has changed. With a very old site like this, it can be very difficult to notice any real changes, especially when they have been in a ruinous state for centuries.

The entire site is very overgrown and loaded with stinging nettles. It’s quite surreal to be within the remains of a courtyard-style castle yet also walking through an area of woodland.

The most substantial ruins are towards the west of the site. The rest of the remains are fragmented across the surrounding area.

If you venture down into the valley from the castle, you should be aware that the remains of the back wall look very insecure and potentially dangerous. Any rock that falls from there could result in serious injury or perhaps worse. You need to be aware of the risk before heading down.

When we visited, the water level in the burn was very low compared to usual, and you could see various masonry blocks that had fallen down the valley from the castle ruins. Some of them appear to be dressed stone, so they were probably from the very exterior of the wall.

Within the “footprint” of the castle, there are few substantial remains. The western site of the site has the most preserved remains, and these are probably 4 meters tall. The rest are small sections here and there that would have formed walls.

The castle was in the form of a courtyard castle, and the remains of the main building are to the east of the site. This is a mound of earth with evidence of masonry and walls visible in areas

Here is a short video we filmed whilst exploring the ruins of Duchal Castle…

Abandoned Hilltop Farm

We stumbled upon this former farm building when looking for another location. We thought the farm was still in active use until we arrived to find it derelict and abandoned.

From the condition of the building, we can only assume it has not been lived in for quite some time. All furniture and belongings have been removed, leaving only carpets and wall coverings. We do not know exactly when the property was abandoned, but we would guess at least 10-15 years.

The surrounding farmland appears to be used as grazing land by neighbouring farms for Sheep and cattle. The building itself is in a poor condition, with the external rendering being damaged. Internally, there is a lot of dampness and signs of water ingress. Due to water penetrating the fabric of the building, the floors feel very soft.

The various outbuildings are also in bad shape. The main outbuilding, which we assume was a cowshed, has been seriously damaged by weather, with large sections of its metal roof missing. The other buildings (mainly brick-built outbuildings) are also in varying stages of disrepair.

Very little is known about this location. We can only guess about its future. It appears this building is perhaps beyond economic repair, so it is unlikely it will be used as a residence again.

Wartime Coastal Battery

Cloch Battery was a coastal defence battery located near the town of Gourock on the West Coast of Scotland. It was operational in both WWI and WWII.

Today, you can still find fragmented remains of the battery site, including the main firing control building, which is located on the hillside above Cloch Point and the Cloch Lighthouse.

Some sections of the battery are hidden in plain sight. One of the searchlight positions has been demolished to only a few feet high. The walls have been capped with decorative topping stone, and it now serves as a viewpoint overlooking the River Clyde.

A guard room has been fully demolished, leaving only its concrete floor. This is now a seating area with benches and also offers views out over the river. On the ground, you can still see where internal walls would have once stood. This gives us a lot of clues about the layout and purpose of the former building.

Cloch Battery is now dominated by Cloch Caravan Park. But when walking around, you can still see evidence of its past. You can still see the concrete walls that would have once been a base for the gun positions. You can also clearly see the location of the magazine.

The Tenement House

The Tenement House in Glasgow is a time capsule into the past and gives us an idea of what it would have been like to live in a typical middle-class Glasgow tenement. The home has been preserved, and it is managed by the National Trust for Scotland. The tenement house was once the home of Agnes Toward. She lived there all of her life (1911-1965). In her early years, she had the companionship of her mother. When her mother passed away, Agnes kept the home and lived out the rest of her life there. Agnes Toward did not change with the times. She was happy with what she had and looked after her possessions. She kept a record of her life through her correspondence, letters and postcards. In doing so, she in effect told her story through her house and its contents. Even when Agnes passed away, her home was still fitted with gas lighting. She did not have a television. Her kitchen was dominated by a large stove that would not only have been used for cooking, it would have been the original source of heat within the home. The main sitting room was well-appointed with horse hair chairs and a warm fireplace. Traces of her past can be found all throughout the house in pictures and letters.

Many people who visit Tenement House may remember being in similar housing either through their parents or grandparents. The Tenement house is thought of as being a typical middle-class Glasgow tenement.

The Tenement House and its contents are going to become more significant as the years go by. For this reason, it is important that The Tenement House is preserved now, so it will be available for generations to come to experience and enjoy.

Video of the Tenement House Glasgow…

Loch Long torpedo test range

We recently made a return trip to the former torpedo test range on Loch Long. We were interested to see how its condition had changed since we last visited in February 2018.

The ruins remain pretty much the same as they were during our previous visit. The jetty appears to have had some maintenance carried out and may be used as a landing port for small passenger craft entering Loch Long.

The upturned bunker is still sitting precariously. We are not sure if this has become insecure and rolled off the raised ground or if this was rolled off its footprint during the demolition work at the site. It’s impressive to see this cast concrete structure resting at such an angle.

The area surrounding the site is very overgrown, and there are traces of previous structures located all around the immediate area.

The following video is from our latest visit…

Photoscans of a possible grave site

Photogrammetry is a method of using photographs to measure and analyse objects or landscapes. It involves taking multiple photographs of an object or scene from different angles and then using specialised software to analyse the photographs and create a 3D model or map of the object or landscape.

This technique is often used in fields such as surveying, architecture, and archaeology to create accurate, high-resolution 3D models or maps. It can also be used in film and video game production to create realistic 3D environments.

In this case, the object we wished to scan was within a large body of water, and it’s usually not visible or accessible due to the water level. During a period of low water, we were able to access the location and generate our 3d model. This model allows us to study the site even when it is lost below the water of the Loch where it lies.

Hidden WWII watchpoint

The Royal Observer Corps (ROC) was a British civil defence organisation that was responsible for the identification and reporting of aircraft movements during the end stages of WWII and into the Cold War.

It was formed in 1925 and was disbanded in 1995. The ROC consisted of volunteers who were trained to identify and report aircraft movements in the event of an attack on the United Kingdom. They were equipped with binoculars and other equipment to help them carry out their duties.

The ROC played a crucial role in the early warning system for the UK during the Cold War by identifying aircraft within UK airspace as friend or foe.

Laterally, the role of the ROC was changed from aircraft observation to Nuclear monitoring. An ROC bunker was a type of underground shelter that was used by the ROC during the Cold War. These bunkers were typically located in remote areas and were designed to withstand a nuclear attack. They were built with thick concrete walls to protect the occupants from radioactive fallout.

Very often, you will find the ROC bunker and the former aircraft observation post very close to each other. This is because the ROC already had the volunteers in the area, and the site would generally have been suitable for both types of monitoring.

The aircraft monitoring post was usually a concrete structure with a shelter and an open observation area. These were called Orlit Posts. There was also an elevated version of this type of post where the structure stood on concrete stilts. These were called Orlit B posts.

There are instances where the ROC would make use of an existing structure and construct the observation area on top of it. This may be one such case…

The Hill House

The Hill House in Helensburgh was designed by the renowned Scottish architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh. It was built between 1902 and 1904 for publisher Walter Blackie and his family. It is considered a masterpiece of Mackintosh’s Style of architecture.

The house is located on a hilltop overlooking the River Clyde and is a unique blend of traditional Scottish architecture and modern design elements. It features a pitched roof, stucco walls, and a turret, as well as Mackintosh’s signature geometric patterns and decorative details

Inside, the house is full of natural light and features a central stairwell, spacious rooms, and a series of interconnected spaces that flow seamlessly together. The house is also renowned for its beautiful stained glass windows, which were designed by one of Mackintosh’s collaborators, Margaret Macdonald.

In the decades since its construction, the Hill House has become an iconic part of Helensburgh’s landscape and a popular attraction for visitors. It is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland, which has carefully restored and preserved the building for future generations.
The building does, however, have a serious flaw. During its construction, the wrong type of cement was used in the external rendering of the building. As a result,

water ingress has been a problem ever since it was built. The building has been described as dissolving like an aspirin in a glass of Water.

In order to rectify the problem, the building needs to be dried out before any repair work can commence. Being located in one of the wettest areas of Scotland, this is no easy task. The entire building has now been covered in a large metal structure to prevent the rain from being able to do further damage and give the structure time to properly dry out.

The top of the structure is a steel sheet roof. The walls are made from chainmail. This allows the structure to breathe whilst still keeping most of the water away from the building. This will buy the building time and help with the drying process. It is expected Hill House will take approximately 15 years to dry out before restoration work can commence.
Hill House is managed by the National Trust for Scotland.

Heathfield Farm

We stumbled upon this ruin when out looking for another location. We filmed the remains of the buildings, then did some research later. The ruins are all that remain of the former Heathfield Farm, located within the Clyde Muirshiel Regional Park.

There are many ruins like this to be found all across Scotland and it gives us some insight into the scale of farming in our historic past. 

Haco’s Tomb Largs

Hacos Tomb is a chambered burial site dating back as far as 3300 BC. Originally, the tomb consisted of three chambers, although only one remains intact today. The entire structure would have been covered by hundreds of tons of stone. This mound was known locally as “Margaret’s Law” before its removal in 1772 to expose the burial chamber.

During investigation work, human remains were unearthed within the main chambers. In 1772, five human skulls were discovered in both chambers.

A flint knife or scraper and at least one broken urn were also found within the tomb.

In this video, we take a short look around the current site.