Formally known as Dalfuar / Dalfuir
Barcaldine House : The house was originally known as Innerergan (at the mouth of the River Ergan) and then Dalfuar (cold field).
Barcaldine House [NM 965414] and formerly known as Dalfuir dates from the early 1700s - dates vary from 1709 to 1724, and is a large rambling and haphazard mansion of several periods and styles, extended down the years, and was built some distance away from the original castle (hence the village of Barcaldine is not near the castle).
The property was designed by James Duff, built in 1709, and extended in 1733.
Much of the estate was sold to the Forestry Commission in the 1920s, and the house was derelict in the 1950s, but was restored in the 1980s. The walled garden houses a caravan park.1
Repository code 234
Repository National Records of Scotland
Reference GD112
Title Papers of the Campbell Family, Earls of Breadalbane (Breadalbane Muniments)
Dates 1306-20th century
Access status Open
GD112/22. Inventories of furniture, 1595-1886
Lists of furniture at Edinample; Finlarig; Balloch; Kilchurn; Achallader; Glenorchy; Barcaldine; Edinburgh; Shian; Thurso East; Holyroodhouse; Taymouth; Meikleour; Foley House, Cavendish Square, London; 21 Park Lane, London; Auchlyne; Langton; Bolfracks factor's office.
The land, including the Mansion House (the oldest portion of which dates from about 1710) and the Policies, were purchased by the Forestry Commission in 1924. The
House and Policies, and most of the unplantable hill land, were subsequently re-sold.2
Need to get a better set of notes, but these are just from references online.
(no assurances of accuracy)
It is a historic mansion in Barcaldine near Oban, Scotland
The lands were originally part of the extensive estates of the Campbell of Breadalbane, who had built Barcaldine Castle in about 1594, one of six castles including Kilchurn, Edinample and Taymouth Castle. At that time the lands extended from Loch Tay continuously to the west coast of Scotland.
The house was originally built in 1709, by "Red Patrick", 4th of Barcaldine when the family abandoned the nearby Barcaldine Castle for a more comfortable home. The house became the home of his son by his first marriage, Duncan Campbell.
The garden had huge heated glasshouses with vines, peaches, pineapples, nectarines and other exotic fruits. Some trees from that time still survive.
The 30,000-acre estate was sold in 1842 to clear family debts when Sir Duncan Campbell the first Baronet died penniless in Brussells
The estate was purchased by Donald Charles Cameron 1781-1848 in 1842 on his return from his plantations in Africa and the Caribbean, and remained in the Cameron family until acquired by the Stewart-Rankine family in the late 19th century.
In 1925 the Forestry Commission began management after their purchase of most of the estate grounds.
By the 1950s the house lay derelict until 1988, when it was purchased by Mr and Mrs Brian John Reid, of Oban who converted it into a luxury hotel and wedding venue with eight en suite rooms in the main house and the wings converted to self-catering cottages.
This enterprise and subsequent owners have since folded, and now it is once again in private hands, requiring extensive renovations.
The surrounding cottages are valuable local rental accommodation.
