After World War I there were insufficient staff available to run the house and estate, and it was requisitioned in World War II to be used as a school for Polish children. Alastair Macdonald, his son, sold Dunalastair in 1881, and it was sold again in 1891 to the great grandfather of the present owner. He ordered the demolition of the previous house, Mount Alexander, which stood on or nearby the site of Dunalastair. The majority of the roof has collapsed and the first floor joists are in a perilous condition as well – with the rest of the roof looking distinctly dubious, I am inclined to think the building will be a shell fairly soon.ĭunalastair House was built for General Sir John Macdonald of Dalchosnie, who purchased the estate from George Robertson, the chief of the Robertsons in 1853.
It was occupied until 1952 and then abandoned the owner is reported to have said that he would like to see the building restored, although this is going to be difficult to achieve since he is also reported as not wanting to see parts of the estate subject to adverse development (ie not able to be converted to flats or a hotel) and would probably want to limit the amount of land to be sold with the house. It consists of a large baronial mansion with a central round tower containing the main entrance door, and wings extending to the rear enclosing a central courtyard. The house was built to a design by Andrew Heiton and son (clearly influenced by his time with the better known Burn and Bryce, who he worked for between 18) and is dated 1852. I have been advised by the estate to highlight that vehicular access from the B846 road is not permitted as the track is privately owned.
It is not signposted and is fenced off for safety reasons since the building is definitely in a dangerous condition.
The site is actually a promontory site, and footpaths lead to it from the main road past the burial ground of the Robertson Clan. Dunalastair is a large ruined baronial mansion dating to the mid 19th century and occupying a prominent site (if now overgrown) overlooking the eastern end of Loch Rannoch, where the River Tummel leaves it.