Photos credit: LDN Architects

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INVERNESS, SCOTLAND — 2 May 2024 — The Boleskine House Foundation SCIO, a registered Scottish charity, has lodged an application with the Highland Council for final Listed Building Consent for the planned design of the house interiors. The designs, created by LDN Architects, reimagine the historical elements of the B-listed building, with a nod to important eras of the house’s past, while reducing its carbon footprint.

The destruction of the house by two fires in 2015 and 2019 provided an opportunity to look back at its historic form, which is being reinstated with fewer, larger rooms. The interior designs boast a Georgian style kitchen, dining room, formal wood paneled drawing room, and library and research room, while the lounge design is inspired by the Egyptian revivalist trend of the Victorian era. Rooms will be adorned with reclaimed Jacobean fireplaces, providing a grand finishing touch.

“It’s fantastic to see this final phase of the rebuild taking shape, especially since Boleskine House has been part of my life for more than 30 years, since I was 17 years old,” said Gary Livingstone, Trustee of The Boleskine House Foundation. “I’ve made many visits to the house over the years, and after the first fire, I was part of a group of local people who campaigned for the building to go on the buildings at risk register. It’s wonderful to see the progress that is being made.”

In addition to the visual design elements, the Foundation has applied for funding to decarbonize the building. Initiatives that will reduce the house’s carbon footprint include a new renewable heating system and 33 solar panels that will allow the building to generate its own electricity. The heating to the ground floor will be underfloor, to allow the interiors to remain without radiators, in keeping with their historic form. 

According to the Scottish House Condition Survey of 2019, approximately one fifth of Scotland’s homes were built before 1919. Historic buildings like Boleskine House have been significant contributors to the country’s overall carbon footprint and therefore are not exempt from Scotland’s ambitious goal to reach net zero emissions by 2045.

“We want to lead the way in retrofitting an old historic building with renewable technology, allowing us to educate the public on how to reduce their carbon footprint,” said Trustee Keith Readdy.

The Foundation’s Listed Building Consent application is available on the Highland Council website at https://wam.highland.gov.uk/wam/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SBHBF7IHGWG00&activeTab=summary.

The Boleskine House Foundation

The Boleskine House Foundation SCIO is a Scottish Registered charity whose mission is to restore and preserve the historical legacy and heritage of the Boleskine House estate for the greater benefit of the public. In addition to our conservation-led approach to sympathetically restore Boleskine House, we aim to educate the public on the heritage of the house and lands, to welcome the enjoyment of its structure and surrounding gardens, and to facilitate learning, growth and well-being. For more information, please visit www.boleskinehouse.org.

Contact:

Keith Readdy
info@boleskinehouse.org 

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