Stronvar Dev_V8

STRONVAR HOUSE
BALQUHIDDER, STIRLINGSHIRE

WELCOME TO
STRONVAR HOUSE
Stronvar House and grounds is a fantastic opportunity to
purchase this 14 Bedroom traditional Scottish Mansion house
surrounded by beautiful country side close to Loch Voil,
Balquidder and surrounding Stirlingshire, in the heart of
Scotland. Stronvar House enjoys a fantastic location within world
famous Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park.
Stronvar House is a project for anyone with a desire to restore this
house to its former glory as an individual and unique residence,
with the added potential to be delivered as a Boutique Hotel or
Country House letting to groups, business, weddings and varied
large party functions
The present Stronvar House dates back to 1850, with more recent
uses for in hospitality and accomodation. It retains its formal
layout of its grandeur and finely proportioned rooms many
traditional features, such as a Grand entrance vestibule hall
leading to the main hallway, fantastic fireplaces, original wood
panelling, traditional stair cases with galleried landing, window
shutters and traditional wood panels on walls. With large garden
space surrounding the house enjoying plenty of wild life such as
red squirrel, otter, red deer & wild birds.
On Loch Voil there are birds such as mute swan, Canada geese
oyster catches and heron. The area is also well known for
walking, rambling mountain climbing and there is a water sports
centre at nearby Locheranhead.
The house set out in a heirarchy of formal and support
accomodation over four levels., which can be adapted as best
suits an owners needs. This includes formal public rooms,
at ground floor level with bedrooms on two floors over. The
lower ground floor supports the house function with owners
accomodation, large kitchens, laundry, cold stores and boot
room as would be expected in a house of this stature. Also at this
level are other large room opportunities for both Spa and Ceildh
entertainment rooms.

stronvar house, circa 1960 david carnegie, circa 1850
carnegie brewery, gothenburg
THE HISTORY OF
STRONVAR
HOUSE
Stronvar House is a stately mansion nestled in the foothills of the
‘Braes of Balquhidder’ running onto the picturesque Loch Voil.
There has been residence on the current grounds since the 16th
century and was owned by the famed Stewart clan.
The house was built for David Carnegie and his family in the 1850’s,
but it’s origins run deeper and date back to Jacobean Scotland,
when the ancestors of the Carnegie family were forced to flee
Scotland to Scandinavia after the Battle of Culloden in 1746.
Over 100 years later, with family wealth garnered from the brewing
and refining of sugar in Sweden, David Carnegie returned to
Scotland with his family and commissioned esteemed Victoria
architect David Bryce to build what we become Stronvar House.
David Bryce remains a revered name in classical architecture to this
very day and is widely regarded as one of Scotland’s most famous
designer. His works include Fettes College, the Bank of Scotland
Head Office on The Mound in Edinburgh,
Balfour Castle in Orkney and Torosay Castke on
the Isle of Mull. His works are renowned and
Stronvar House was designed during the peak of
his career.
Prior to David Carnegie’s extensive development
of the land, the property was named Glen
Buckie and boasted stables alongside extensive
farmland. Carnegie’s work commenced in 1849
and finished some 2 years later and the rest, as
they say, is history.
Stronvar remained in the Carnegie family
beyond David’s death in 1890 up until 1952
when it was taken over by the Scottish Youth
Hostel Association who maintained it as a local
establishment in the beautiful tourist spot of
Balquhidder.

DESIGN INTENT
STATEMENT
Since the current owners took possession of the house in 2016 the building,
with its specialist conservation design team and contractor, has commenced its
journey back to a fine country mansion house and its former glory.
In this time, it has undergone a wide programme of repairs and reinstatement
of slate and lead roof renewal, cast iron gutters, downpipes, lower ground floor
tanking, stone cleaning along with window renewal and window repair. All
works have been carried out to Scottish Heritage Conservation specifications
to seamlessly reinstate traditional new materials beside the historic existing
fabric.
Within the building there remain many original features which will be retained
and form the basis for Conservation led restoration. These include a variety of
fine fireplaces in the main apartments and some bedrooms. Key components
of the restored interiors will be the magnificently proportioned, high ceiling
rooms and apartments which will be retained in their original forms.
From existing plaster cornices and panelled ceilings moulds will be taken new
ceiling formed as original. Where they have been lost they will reinstated from
reproduction catalogues from the Victorian Period, for cornice, ceiling panels
and picture rails. Similarly, many of the fine timber moulded wall panels
remain to dado height withing main apartments. These are complimented
by Victorian fielded and recessed moulded panelled window ingo linings and
folding shutter. The shutters can be made operational to work as designed to
enhance both thermal and physical protection of the building.

Door architraves along with the elegantly proportioned doors,
will be renovated and rehung. Where missing they will be
faithfully reproduced, along with moulded Victorian patterns
high skirtings throughout.
The entrance to the house is as expected from a mansion of this
status and is formed by a formal single flight, in baronial form to
the main staircase of hardwood turned balustrades and handrail.
The main stair accesses the upper floor bedrooms with its cupola
light over making this a bright and well-lit central hall. From this
hall one moves to the principal apartments of Day room, Drawing
room and Dining Room. These rooms in turn lead off to the
Smoking room and bathroom.
From the Entrance Hall towards the rear of the house, which is
the original Keep Castle we pass the old Servants Stair, which
leads to the Lower Ground floor. At the lower ground level are
the Caretaker Suite along with two more formal apartments, the
Ceilidh Room and Billiards Rooms.
Between the formal rooms sits the House Kitchen which is
sufficient sized to provide for a house of guests and visitors.
Supporting the kitchen is ample storage, laundry, wine store,
preparation room and people and food hoist to serve the Dining
Room on the Ground Floor. The Kitchen is accessed directly from
the protected Rear Courtyard past toilets, cloakroom and boot
room.
Journeying back to the Ground Floor past the old servant’s stair
is the formal Library and Study. The study retains its fine curved
panelled doors and overlooks the kitchen and gardens. As the
original library this will be an intimate formal area with open fire
and floor to ceiling bookcases and panelling. Adjacent to the study
and library is the cast iron and hardwood balustraded bedrooms
staircase, which leads to first floor and then second floor bedrooms,
of the original house.
At the upper first and second floors there numbers thirteen
bedroom and suites. Of these bedrooms no less than ten will have
ensuite bathrooms. All will benefit from magnificent views over
open country and the loch to the north and west of the house.

Bedrooms and formal apartments to the south elevations will overlook the formal laws
and gardens of the house, while those on the east will overlook the gravel drive, gardens
and approach to the house.
While the Historic Fabric will be painstakingly respected and reinstated this will be
a house fit for 21st century needs and wants. The degree of repair and reinstatement
required creates the opportunity to move this Victorian House to a contemporary dwelling
with very high levels of thermal insulation to roof spaces, external walls, internal floors,
ground floors and windows.
Traditional shutters will add to heat and energy conservation strategy of new and
refurbished double-glazed e-glass windows. Space heating will be by traditional warm
water radiators which can be fuelled by a combination of traditional and renewable
energy sources, including low pressure gas, solar, air source heat or ground source heat
recovery. This will be reinforced by individual room and zonal controls. In some of the
finer apartments space heating will be supplemented by open solid fuel or gas fires, within
historic fabric fire places. All utility services within the house and outbuildings will be
new, including dedicated electrical, high speed broadband, low pressure gas storage and
cold water storage.
Turning to the opportunities for Interior Design and Décor the Interior Concept is to
reinstate the Historic Fabric to allow the owner to deliver a Contemporary Scottish
Country Mansion, with the correct sense of grandeur, formality, tradition and understated
wow factor, for guests and visitors, balanced with the attraction and comforts of a warm
and welcoming home.
Externally, as with the house and interior the emphasis will be on traditional components
expected of the house and its setting, to include gravel driveway, period lamp standards,
formal grass lawns with natural stone stairs and entrance posts. The existing surrounding
woodland will be dressed, with selective tree removal to afford open views to Loch Voil.
From the house it is a very short stroll, via the path controlled by the house, to the banks
of Loch Voil. On Loch Voil there are birds such as mute swan, Canada geese oyster catches
and heron. The area is also well known for walking, rambling mountain climbing and
there is a water sports centre at nearby Locheranhead. Fishing is permitted by permit and
access is available for canoeing and small boating.

PENDING: UPDATED CGI

SCOTTISH RURAL
LIFESTYLE
Stronvar House and the beautiful settings of Loch Voil are the
perfect location to truly enjoy the very best of Scottish rural culture.
It is no secret that Scotland boast some of the finest scenery to be
found anywhere in the world and Stronvar offers some of the very
best Scottish countryside. Standing at the foot of Loch Voil at the
picturesque Stronvar Bridge, the views along the water, flanked by
the rolling purple and green heather strewn Braes of Balquhidder
are second to none.
The location is steeped in rich Scottish history and one of the
country’s most famous sons, the valiant and swashbuckling
outlaw-hero Rob Roy McGregor, is buried but a stones throw from
the house. The nearby Old Kirk marks the place of McGregor’s
burial an it is said Sir Walter Scott, who’s novel of ‘Rob Roy’s’ life
rose the outlaw to cult fame, took his inspiration for his work.
The breathtaking scenery can best be witnessed by standing
at the McLaren Stone - a viewpoint above the Old Kirk - where
uninterrupted panoramic views of Balquhidder Glen are offered up.
For many, Scotland offers up the best country pursuits anywhere
in the UK, and Stronvar House is perfectly situated to reap the best
of country life. For those with a keen interest in sporting pursuits,
Loch Voil is widely known as being a hotbed for game fishing and
seasonal angling is permitted. Among a plethora of fish, salmon
and brown trout are the marquee catches to be had. Balquhidder
Glen and the surrounding braes are also acclaimed for their varies
quarries; deer, pheasant and partridge included. A variety of
formats are also available, with stalking and driven shoots being
the most popular. There are a number of shoots that can be joined
and Hunting Scotland organise the majority in the area.
THE HOME OF GOLF
Scotland is known throughout the world as ‘The Home of Golf’
with over 550 courses strewn across the country, and many of the
finest are within touching distance of Stronvar House.
The famous Gleneagles Hotel & Country Club is 20 minutes away
and its collection of James Braid designed courses are amongst
the finest to be found anywhere in the world. The Queens, Kings
and recently added PGA Centenary Course - which played host to
the 2014 Ryder Cup are true challenges to any handicapper. The
excellent Stirling Golf Club with its rolling parkland layout and
views across the old town, Stirling Castle and Wallace Monument
is also easily accessible.
St Andrew’s and Carnoustie are both just over an hours drive
away, both of which form part of the The Open collection of
courses and are a must for any golfer to play in their lifetime.
Other courses of note such as the esteemed Loch Lomond is less
than an hours drive whilst Ayrshire’s collection of championship
courses in Turnberry and Royal Troon make for an ideal day trip,
as do the East Lothian located courses of Archerfield, Muirfield
and Gullane.

BALQUHIDDER
STIRLINGSHIRE
Balquhidder a small village in the Stirling council area of
Scotland. It is overlooked by the dramatic mountain terrain
of the ‘Braes of Balquhidder’, at the head of Loch Voil.
Balquhidder Glen is also popular for fishing, nature watching
and walking.
The small village of Balquhidder has a local community
shop and post office, but beyond that you are never far from
civilisation with Stirling and Perth both reachable outposts
for amenities. There are few places in the world that can boast
the beauty that Scotland has to offer, and Stronvar House may
just be situated in the most idyllic part of the country.
Stirling boasts a fine collection of luxury retail boutiques
and excellent restaurants, and is home to a number
of supermarkets. Famed for its Castle and the Wallace
Monument, Stirling is one the UK’s most historic towns.
Similarly Perth, which is as equally draped in history, is
within a 30 minute drive.
The local kirkyard is the final resting place of Rob Roy, his grave is
marked with the appropriately defiant motto ‘MacGregor Despite
Them’. He lies with the remains of his wife and two sons, the
graves marked by three flat stones. One of these is contemporary,
but the remaining two are re-used medieval grave monuments.
Behind the present kirk is Tom nan Angeae, the hill of fire, where
until the 19th-century hearth fires were renewed at Beltane and
Samhain to encourage ancient gods to bring warmth to the land.
St Angus was buried at the foot of this hill and a flagstone laid
over him which stands today in the present church. This stone,
formerly in the floor of the medieval church, has a crudely incised
figure of a priest holding a chalice. The carving is probably late
medieval in date.
There are some foundations of the east end of the small medieval
parish church of Balquhidder around the grave of Rob Roy and
his family (which seem deliberately to have been buried at the site
of its altar). A few metres to the west are the roofless ruins of this
building’s 17th-century successor. The present church, built on a
new site to the north of the ancient graveyard, is of 19th-century
date. As well as the slab attributed to St. Angus, the ancient,
primitive font, probably of early medieval origin, is preserved in
this building. There is a display on the history of Balquhidder in
the church, which is open to the public during the summer, when
there is also a programme of evening concerts in the building.

STRONVAR HOUSE
HOUSE PLANS
Stronvar House currently has Planning Permission as a
single dwelling house, which forms the basis of the current
Conservation and restoration works.
It has been confirmed by Planning Department that
alternative functions will be permitted, subject to Planning
Permission and Listed Building Consent. These could be
Boutique Hotel or Country House for letting as a whole or on
a room by room basis.
Additional potential being investigated by the current
owners is the potential for a Boat House on Loch Voil and
also potential for two to three letting Chalet Bungalows
remote from the house in the south west garden.

©
©
DIMENSIONS
DIMENSIONS
LOWER GROUND FLOOR
Lounge
Kitchen
Bedroom 1
8.3m x 6.2m
4.5mx 4.0m
5.2m x 4.2m
27’1” x 20’4”
14’10” x 13’3”
17’0” x 13’11”
GROUND FLOOR
Lounge
Kitchen
Bedroom 1
8.3m x 6.2m
4.5mx 4.0m
5.2m x 4.2m
27’1” x 20’4”
14’10” x 13’3”
17’0” x 13’11”
En-Suite 1
3.0m x 1.5m
9’11” x 4’11”
En-Suite 1
3.0m x 1.5m
9’11” x 4’11”
Bedroom 2
3.8m x 3.1m
12’7” x 10’2”
Bedroom 2
3.8m x 3.1m
12’7” x 10’2”
En-Suite 2
3.3m x 1.4m
10’8” x 4’5”
En-Suite 2
3.3m x 1.4m
10’8” x 4’5”
Dining Room
4.0m x 3.1m
13’3” x 10’2”
Dining Room
4.0m x 3.1m
13’3” x 10’2”
Bathroom
3.0m x 2.5m
9’11” x 8’1”
Bathroom
3.0m x 2.5m
9’11” x 8’1”

DIMENSIONS
DIMENSIONS
FIRST FLOOR
Lounge
Kitchen
Bedroom 1
8.3m x 6.2m
4.5mx 4.0m
5.2m x 4.2m
27’1” x 20’4”
14’10” x 13’3”
17’0” x 13’11”
SECOND FLOOR
Lounge
Kitchen
Bedroom 1
8.3m x 6.2m
4.5mx 4.0m
5.2m x 4.2m
27’1” x 20’4”
14’10” x 13’3”
17’0” x 13’11”
En-Suite 1
3.0m x 1.5m
9’11” x 4’11”
En-Suite 1
3.0m x 1.5m
9’11” x 4’11”
Bedroom 2
3.8m x 3.1m
12’7” x 10’2”
Bedroom 2
3.8m x 3.1m
12’7” x 10’2”
En-Suite 2
3.3m x 1.4m
10’8” x 4’5”
En-Suite 2
3.3m x 1.4m
10’8” x 4’5”
Dining Room
4.0m x 3.1m
13’3” x 10’2”
Dining Room
4.0m x 3.1m
13’3” x 10’2”
Bathroom
3.0m x 2.5m
9’11” x 8’1”
Bathroom
3.0m x 2.5m
9’11” x 8’1”

Awards
—
A selection amongst others:
2006 Civic Trust Award - Hamilton Town House - Regeneration
Project
Cadzow Street, Hamilton
2005 Public Library Building Award - Hamilton Town House -
Regeneration Project
Cadzow Street, Hamilton
DESIGN & DELIVERY TEAM
COLTART EARLEY
All members of the Design Team are extremely experienced
Conservation, Renovation and Main Stream Professionals
with a vast knowledge of dealing with Historic Buildings
in Scotland. The Project Manager and Design Team is
Bill Coltart is FRIAS Conservation Accredited. This RIAS
Accreditation recognition has been based on the hands on
his 30 years of Conservation and Refurbishment Project
Experience including the Delivery of Award Winning
Conservation Projects. Some of Bill’s and Coltart Earley
Architecture Delivered Key and Relevant Projects are listed
below. Bill is supported by similarly experienced, Cost
Consultants, M&E and Structural Engineers. The intention is
that Coltart Earley Architecture will work with Margo Paton,
director and owner, of Chelsea Mclaine Interiors. This team,
including carefully selected Construction Contractors, can
provide a one stop shopping solution for mew owners.
www.coltart-earley.co.uk
www.chelseamclaine.co.uk
2005 Mary Finch Award for Accessibility - Hamilton Town House -
Regeneration Project
Cadzow Street, Hamilton
2006 Architect meets Practicality Category - Hamilton Town House
- Regeneration Project
Cadzow Street, Hamilton
2006 Daily Mail UK Property Award - Best Development Glasgow -
Eden Cathcart Church, Newlands Road Glasgow
2008 The Herald Property Award for Scotland - Townhouse
Development at Chamberlain Gate, Jordanhill Glasgow
2008 Glasgow Institute of Architects - Design Commendation -
Gourock Ropeworks, Port Glasgow
2010 The Herald Property Award for Scotland - Social Housing
Development of the Year - Allanvale, Dunlop
2011 Stirling Civic Trust - Best Restoration Highly Commended -
Museum Hall, Bridge of Allan

FURTHER INFO
contacts
Coltart Earley
559 Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow
G3 7PQ
T: 0141 353 7488
E: info@coltart-earley.co.uk
W: www.coltart-earley.com