Achamore House
Encyclopedia
Achamore House is a mansion on the Isle of Gigha, Scotland
. It was built in 1884 for Lt-Col William James Scarlett, and the extensive gardens were laid out by Sir James Horlick from 1944. The house is protected as a category B listed building, while the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
.
, for £49,000. James Scarlett's son, Lt-Col William James Scarlett, a veteran of the Crimean War
like his cousin William Scarlett, 3rd Baron Abinger
, built Achamore House in 1884. The house was designed by John Honeyman of Honeyman and Keppie Architects. After it was damaged by fire in 1896, John Honeyman was again employed to restore and remodel the house, which was completed in 1900.
The island remained in the Scarlett family until 1919 when it was sold to a Major John Allen, and subsequently bought in 1937 by Richard and Elaine Hamer (née de Chair), daughter of Admiral Sir Dudley de Chair
. During the Second World War it passed to Elaine Hamer's brother, Somerset de Chair
, before selling it on to Colonel Sir James Horlick in 1944, who bought the island in order to extend his plant collection, which he had been developing at Titness Park in Berkshire. He undertook plantings across some 50 acres (202,343 m²) of gardens surrounding the house. The estate was again sold in 1973 after Horlick's death to James Landale, but the plant collection was gifted to the National Trust for Scotland
.
The next owner in 1989 was Malcolm Potier, followed by the Holt family until in 2002 the island was purchased by its residents, and ownership of the house and gardens passed to the Isle of Gigha Hertitage Trust. In order to pay back loans used for the community buy-out, the house was sold in 2003 and now operates as bed and breakfast accommodation.
The Achamore Gardens are owned by the Heritage Trust, and are open to the public. The mild climate of the Inner Hebrides
, and the microclimate
of the gardens, allows a unusual range of plants to flourish. The gardens include specimens of southern rātā
from New Zealand, Montezuma pine
from Central America, Puya alpestris
from the Andes, and Wollemia nobilis from Australia.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. It was built in 1884 for Lt-Col William James Scarlett, and the extensive gardens were laid out by Sir James Horlick from 1944. The house is protected as a category B listed building, while the grounds are included in the Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland
The Inventory of Gardens and Designed Landscapes in Scotland is a listing of gardens and designed landscapes of national artistic and/or historical significance, in Scotland. The Inventory was originally compiled in 1987, although it is a continually evolving list...
.
History
The island of Gigha was formerly the property of the Clan McNeill, who sold the island in 1856 to James Williams Scarlett, second son of Sir William Anglin ScarlettWilliam Anglin Scarlett
Sir William Anglin Scarlett was Chief Justice of Jamaica.Scarlett was the son of Robert Scarlett who owned property in Jamaica. His elder brother, James, was to become Attorney General. He was educated in Edinburgh and at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A. in 1802. In 1809,...
, for £49,000. James Scarlett's son, Lt-Col William James Scarlett, a veteran of the Crimean War
Crimean War
The Crimean War was a conflict fought between the Russian Empire and an alliance of the French Empire, the British Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and the Kingdom of Sardinia. The war was part of a long-running contest between the major European powers for influence over territories of the declining...
like his cousin William Scarlett, 3rd Baron Abinger
William Scarlett, 3rd Baron Abinger
Lieutenant-General William Frederick Scarlett, 3rd Baron Abinger CB , was a British peer.Scarlett succeeded his father Robert Scarlett, 2nd Baron Abinger, in 1861. Educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, the 3rd Baron became an officer of the Scots Fusilier Guards regiment of the...
, built Achamore House in 1884. The house was designed by John Honeyman of Honeyman and Keppie Architects. After it was damaged by fire in 1896, John Honeyman was again employed to restore and remodel the house, which was completed in 1900.
The island remained in the Scarlett family until 1919 when it was sold to a Major John Allen, and subsequently bought in 1937 by Richard and Elaine Hamer (née de Chair), daughter of Admiral Sir Dudley de Chair
Dudley de Chair
Admiral Sir Dudley Rawson Stratford de Chair, KCB, KCMG, KBE, MVO was a Naval Officer and Governor. De Chair joined the Royal Navy from the age of 16 and served in the Anglo-Egyptian War and later as an Admiral in the First World War. He was appointed as Governor of New South Wales in 1923...
. During the Second World War it passed to Elaine Hamer's brother, Somerset de Chair
Somerset de Chair
Somerset Struben de Chair DSC was a British author, politician and poet.-Early and personal life:Younger son of Admiral Sir Dudley Rawson Stratford de Chair, KCB, KCMG, MVO...
, before selling it on to Colonel Sir James Horlick in 1944, who bought the island in order to extend his plant collection, which he had been developing at Titness Park in Berkshire. He undertook plantings across some 50 acres (202,343 m²) of gardens surrounding the house. The estate was again sold in 1973 after Horlick's death to James Landale, but the plant collection was gifted to the National Trust for Scotland
National Trust for Scotland
The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland describes itself as the conservation charity that protects and promotes Scotland's natural and cultural heritage for present and future generations to...
.
The next owner in 1989 was Malcolm Potier, followed by the Holt family until in 2002 the island was purchased by its residents, and ownership of the house and gardens passed to the Isle of Gigha Hertitage Trust. In order to pay back loans used for the community buy-out, the house was sold in 2003 and now operates as bed and breakfast accommodation.
The Achamore Gardens are owned by the Heritage Trust, and are open to the public. The mild climate of the Inner Hebrides
Inner Hebrides
The Inner Hebrides is an archipelago off the west coast of Scotland, to the south east of the Outer Hebrides. Together these two island chains form the Hebrides, which enjoy a mild oceanic climate. There are 36 inhabited islands and a further 43 uninhabited Inner Hebrides with an area greater than...
, and the microclimate
Microclimate
A microclimate is a local atmospheric zone where the climate differs from the surrounding area. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square feet or as large as many square miles...
of the gardens, allows a unusual range of plants to flourish. The gardens include specimens of southern rātā
Metrosideros umbellata
Southern rātā , is a tree endemic to New Zealand. It grows up to 15 m. or more tall with a trunk up to 1 m. or more in diameter. It produces masses of red flowers in summer...
from New Zealand, Montezuma pine
Pinus montezumae
Pinus montezumae, known as the Montezuma Pine, is a species of conifer in the Pinaceae family.It is native to Mexico and Central America, where it is known as Ocote. The tree grows about 35 m high and 80 cm in diameter; occasionally it may reach a height of 40 m and diameter of...
from Central America, Puya alpestris
Puya alpestris
Puya alpestris is a species of bromeliad native to Chilean Andes and grown as an ornamental plant. It produces a clump of gray-green, spike-edged leaves and bolts a tall inflorescence containing many flowers. The flower is an unusual teal color with bright light orange pollen.-References:*Steens,...
from the Andes, and Wollemia nobilis from Australia.