:: Gartmore House ::

 

 

 

 

 

  Photo courtesy of Gartmore House

 

Gartmore House was originally built by the Graham family on land acquired from the first Earl of Stirling in 1644, although the exact date of the first house is uncertain. Records show there was definitely a house there in the 15th century. The present house, originally U-plan in design, is early 18th century in origin and a fine example of the work of William Adam. 

In 1900 Sir Charles Cayzer bought Gartmore House for £130,000 from Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham. Sir Charles commissioned David Barclay, a pupil of Charles Rennie Mackintosh, to re-design the building. Barclay designed the west front, added the tower and altered the roofs. The moondial, which was a feature of the forecourt of Gartmore house, has been removed to the Cayzer family burial ground behind Gartmore Parish Church. 

During the Second World War the estate was commandeered by the army and Gartmore House became a barracks until 1950 when the Archdiocese of Glasgow bought the house to establish St. Ninians, a List D School. This school was run by the De La Salle Brothers, a Roman Catholic religious order. At this time outbuildings were added to the original house to provide classroom accommodation. By 1982 the school was closed and the house was empty for the next three years until its purchase by The Way College of Biblical Research.

In 1981, the National Trust for Scotland transferred the Cunninghame Graham Memorial to Gartmore from its original site near the Graham family home at Ardoch, near Dumbarton. Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham succeeded to the Gartmore estate in 1883 and was the last member of the Graham family to be laird of Gartmore. “Don Roberto”, as he was affectionately known, was an author, traveller and horseman who spent a number of years in South America. He was also a member of parliament from 1886 to 1892 and was President of the National Party of Scotland in the late 1920’s.

 

In 1987 The Way, a worldwide, nondenominational training ministry bought the house for their European base.

 

Cloverley Hall bought the house in 1997 with Peter and Anne Sunderland and it became a Conference and Activity centre. In 2000 Gartmore House ran as a charitable trust with a Board of Directors, namely George Russell (formerly of Scotland the Brand), Peter Taylor, (hotelier) and Peter & Anne Sunderland.

Sadly, in September, 2004, Chairman of the board, George Russell passed away.

 

It was around this time that Gartmore House was invited to acquire the interests of Carberry Towers. Peter Kimber (formerly chief executive Scottish Curriculum Authority and Scripture Union, England and Wales) and Rev Mike Parker (director of the Evangelical Alliance, Scotland) were invited onto the board.

 

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