Lady of Dunans Castle - Supporting my Castle Craze

I have to admit, I have dreamed of owning a castle one day - although not Dunans Castle 🙂 My husband and I also vacationed in Scotland, falling in love with the country, its people and its history. We spent weeks exploring castles and castle ruins every day, until our feet hurt. As a result, we appreciated our modern comforts with central heat more than ever. But, I have never really thought about having a title. I have read you can buy peerage titles online, although I personally thought that would be a bit too cheeky. 

Imagine my surprise when I got the present of Lady of Dunans from my parents. My family knows how much I love castles. A few years back, my sister even went as far as having a tartan created and registered for me. Unbelievable, right? And this just goes right along with the castle craze. Most importantly, it's a castle present I don't yet have.

What Is It?

So, what exactly did I get? My parents "bought" me one square foot of land within the grounds of Dunans Castle in Scotland. This now entitles me to use the decorative title "Lady of Dunans". If you are male, you can use the title "Laird of Dunans". In addition, once you log into the official website, you can also use official castle stationary and print calling cards. How cool is that?

Of course, you have to take it with a grain of salt. Owning a square foot of land doesn't really mean anything legally speaking. You can't get a coat of arms based on this or officially register ownership of your land in Scotland. It is, therefore, purely decorative. But, it serves the greater purpose of saving Dunans Castle. And for that alone it's well worth it.   

What Else Did I Get?

There are actually a few more things included with my gift. I got a postcard of Dunans Castle, along with a brochure. The brochure outlines how to locate my plot of land online. The gift pack includes a free guided tour, whenever I want to visit the castle. I get free lifetime access to the ravine on Dunans side, along with fishing rights.

I can use the Dunans stationary and I am eligible to register for a free email address with the Lady or Laird of Dunans domain. With this title, I can even inherit my plot of land to someone, providing I inform Dunans Castle of the change beforehand.   

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Where Is Dunans Castle?

Dunans Castle is located in Argyll, Scotland. It looks like the castle is a 1.5 hours drive from Glasgow. The brochure explains that there are a lot of things to do in the area. Nature-lovers can explore the mountains, glens, and lochs on the many hiking trails. You can also walk the Cowal Way trail, which passes right by Dunans Castle. Every year, highland games take place on the nearby Isle of Bute. The Isle of Bute also hosts an annual jazz festival.

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The Surrounding Estate

In the brochure you can read about some interesting things concerning the castle estate. The grounds include about 16 acres of land, which surround the main building. Dunans Castle also boasts the tallest tree in the UK. The Douglas Fir tree stands an incredible 63.79m tall and is an estimated 160 years old. The bridge leading to the castle holds special significance as well. Internationally renowned because of its three-arched construction, it is 16m high and constructed with unique hexagonal piers.  

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The History of the Castle

Just like many castles, Dunans Castle started out as a small manor house in the 1590s. The records show it as "Dounens" at the time. The Campbell Clan originally owned the property. On the wrong side after the Jacobite rebellion, they were forced to give up the estate. At the time, it included much more than 16 acres.

Around 1745 the Fletcher Clan acquired the property. In the early 19th century, Thomas Telford built the castle bridge, commissioned by Ian Fletcher. Ian's son planted the fir trees on either side of the bridge, which include the tallest tree in the UK now. Andrew Kerr, an Edinburgh architect, transformed the house into a castle in 1864, for the Fletcher Clan. 

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Dunans Castle functioned as a hotel, up until 2001. A large fire destroyed the castle that year and it sat empty and burnt out until 2003. Charles and Sadie Dixon-Spain purchased the ruins and began the journey of saving the burnt out building structure. Initially, they lived in a large shed behind the ruins. Dunans House is now restored as their family home. The castle, bridge, and grounds are still in need of restoration, which will be an ongoing, long-term project. 

Image Source: http://glenoftheredriver.com/history/the-glen-today/dixon-spain/

The Lady and Laird scheme is directly linked to providing funds for the extensive conservation plans unveiled by the Dixon-Spains. Their goal is to restore Dunans Castle to its former glory for all to enjoy.      

Help Save a Burnt Out Dunans Castle

Of course, you can become a Lady or Laird of Dunans too. Or, you can gift this to someone, like my parents did. It makes for a great present and you can be part of saving a burnt out castle ruin and restoring its bridge and grounds. I don't get paid for promoting this. I was just so excited that I wanted to share this with you. If you want to purchase your title, you can do so HERE. You can choose from different packages and price points. It's certainly a worthwhile cause and great entertainment.