Avoch and Killen in a pictorial tour ⋆ Ross and Cromarty Heritage

Avoch and Killen Introduction

Attribution: unknown or not recorded

The Avoch and Killen community is located on the Black Isle. So, Avoch is a small fishing village while on the other hand Killen is mainly agricultural. This means in the past most of the folk in Avoch and Killen have been employed in agriculture or fishing. However, in the past the village has also been involved in ship building and transporting goods by ship.

A Pictorial Tour of Avoch and Killen

Why not join in a pictorial tour of Avoch through the ages? You will meet some of the people who used to live here. For example this is one of the photos on the tour and shows Sandy and Maggie Skinner working outside their house in Geddieston. So, not all the work of a fisherman takes place at sea.

Attribution: unknown

Attribution: unknown

"Scaffies" in Avoch harbour.

A common sight on the beach was “Scaffies” drawn up on the beach as we can see in this pre-WW1 photograph. After that, if we look westward we can see Henrietta Street. However, two of today’s features are missing: there is no Ormonde Street houses or the industrial estate. Finally, the site of Ormonde Castle is still well wooded.

Margaret street after a Snowfall

Donald’s shadow can be seen here as he stood with his back to the Firth photographing the bottom of Margaret Street. On the left is a shop which was owned by Robert Jack who sold groceries. It later became an electrical shop. Next to it is a shed which was a shoemaker’s shop.

Attribution: unknown

Click on photo album to view thumbnails and then click thumbnail to see the full size images

Avoch » Avoch History » Avoch Rosehaugh House

An example of carving on building

As can be seen in this example of carving, Flockhart paid enormous attention to detail

Ceiling detail

An example of the high standard of workmanship is seen in this example of a ceiling painting of an Italian type. As well as the rooms one would expect in any big house, Rosehaugh boasted a ballroom with sprung floor, a gymnasium and marble-lined swimming pool and Turkish baths.

Dairy Cottage

This is one of the few remaining buildings on the Rosehaugh Estate of the grand buildings commissioned by James Douglas Fletcher. As its name implies it was the dairy to the 'big house'. Run independently of the Mains Farm, a pedigree herd of Jersey cows provided milk, butter and cheese to the house. During the war the dairy also supplied milk to the village.

Demolition of house

After the death of Fletcher's widow in 1953 the new owner,s Eagle Star Insurance Company, tried to sell the house. There were rumours that the Queen Mother and Gordonstoun School expressed an interest and certainly Butlins considered it seriously but years of neglect had taken their toll and the expense of repairs was considerable. In 1959 demolition began.

Dining room

The dimensions of the dining room were an impressive 34' x 17'. There was a white Italian marble fireplace, wooden panelling painted bottle green topped by green velvet hangings. There were two balconies but no access to them - save with a ladder!

Front entrance

These imposing steps to the front door are flanked by two huge bronze Burmese chindits. When the house contents were sold in 1954 they were bought on behalf of a New Orleans antiquarian for just £56!

Front of Rosehaugh house

No expense was spared on the house. It was designed by an eminent architect of the time, William Flockhart, who also worked on Kinfauns Castle in Perthshire.

Gardeners

The beautiful and extensive gardens needed a staff of 20 gardeners under the head gardener William Mortimer Moir. There were flower beds, lawns, a boating lake, extensive kitchen gardens, a fernery and huge hothouses. Exotic trees were imported and some can still be seen today.

Giant Buddha

Like the chindits at the front entrance, this giant Buddha together with a pair of huge bronze elephants was installed in 1902. The Buddha is now in the Royal Scottish Museum.

Grave of James Douglas Fletcher

When he died in 1927 James Fletcher's widow erected this burial place in the grounds of Rosehaugh although there is a family vault in Avoch Parish Churchyard. It was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens R.A, who also designed the Cenotaph in London and Liverpool's Roman Catholic Cathedral. Lilian was also buried here in 1953. Sadly the site is so badly overgrown now that it is very difficult to locate.

Hothouses

The hothouses were constructed by Mackenzie and Moncur who used them to illustrate their catalogue. In them were grown exotic blooms, grapes, melons and pineapples. Hot water and hot air were circulated around them.

One of the hothouses

One of hothouses constructed by Mackenzie and Moncur who used them to illustrate their catalogue. In them were grown exotic blooms, grapes, melons and pineapples. Hot water and hot air were circulated around them.