Dunalastair

Dunalastair House is a derelict 19th century mansion occupying an overgrown hillside site overlooking Loch Rannoch. It is fenced off for safety reasons as it is dangerously unstable. 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.

The house was built for General Sir John Macdonald of Dalchosnie after he purchased the estate from George Robertson in 1853. The previous mansion, Mount Alexander, was demolished, and only dated to c1800. The estate associated with these houses was that of the Robertsons of Struan, chiefs of their clan, but Dunalastair and Mount Alexander both have no history dating back to the period of “true” castles. Up to the mid 17th century, the family seat was at Inverack, near to the motte at Struan, so although there may have been earlier houses on this site, they were not of high enough status to be considered castles. The Dunalastair Estate was the area chosen to depict the fictional stone circle of Craigh na Dun in the television series “Outlander”, but it should be noted that the stone circle was a film set which was erected on private land upon a working farm.