MHG12104 - Calda House

Summary

No summary available.

Type and Period (1)

  • HOUSE (Post Medieval - 1560 AD to 1900 AD)

Protected Status

Full Description

NC22SW 3 2436 2334.
Calda House (NR) (remains of) OS 6"map, (1967)

Named 'Calda House'
J Home 1774-5. <1>, <2>

Edderchalder, Calder of Calda House, known locally as the White House, is said to have been erected 1660 by 3rd Earl of Seaforth. It was an oblong block of two storeys and an attic, divided in two by a wall running down the centre, but it is now roofless and much ruined with side facing the loch having disappeared entirely. It is said to have been reduced to this state deliberately by fire in M18th century. RCAHMS 1911; D MacGibbon and T Ross 1889; NSA (C Gordon) 1845. <3>-<5>

Calda House, which is no more than a shell, measures overall 16.5 m N-S by 13.5 m; otherwise it is as described above.
Visited by OS (G H P) 23 May 1962 and (J B) 12 August 1980.

The building was listed at Category B in 1979.

The building was Scheduled by Historic Scotland in 1996.

See PR78: Inchnadamph Project
JW 8/12/00

Letter received from Historic Scotland, 29/04/04.
See Assoc. Docs. File

Currently being repaired on behalf of Historic Assynt. Janet Hooper is the project arch and is recording the work - HAW 11/2004

Situated on the flat land between the road and Loch Assynt are the remains of Calda House. The structure is 17m by 13m and 7m high, and comprises a three storey mortared stone house, aligned N/S. There is a subdivision within the structure running N/S but not the whole way across the building. The W elevation and W end of the E elevation have collapsed. The collapsed E elevation lies on the ground where it collapsed, but the stone from the W elevation is missing. The building survives on both gable ends and was the first M-shaped gable house in NW Scotland. Holes for the roof joists are evident on the internal elevations as are a number of fireplaces. An area of collapse has made the chimney flue visible on the south elevations and there are a number of obvious replaced concrete and wooden lintels throughout. <6>

As part of the Historic Environment Scotland Dual Designation Project it was recommended in 2016 that the building would be de-listed although it would remain a Scheduled Monument. <7>

The building was de-listed by Historic Environment Scotland with effect from 09/08/2016. <8>

Photographs of the building were submitted to the HER by K Crawford in 2023. <9>

Sources/Archives (20)

Map

Location

Grid reference Centred NC 2438 2334 (20m by 20m) (2 map features)
Map sheet NC22SW
Geographical Area SUTHERLAND
Civil Parish ASSYNT

Finds (0)

Related Monuments/Buildings (0)

Related Investigations/Events (1)

External Links (2)

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