Achnacarry Castle
Lochiel's Home Damaged by Fire
from The Scotsman
November 8, 1943
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Achnacarry Castle, the ancestral home of
Colonel Sir D.W. Cameron of Lochiel, Lord Lieutenant of the county of Inverness,
was saved from destruction by fire early on Saturday (November 6, 1943) after
six hours fire-fighting by N.F.S. detachments from Fort William and
Inverness. The fire started shortly after midnight, and the flames could
be seen for miles around. The firemen prevented the fire from spreading
beyond the central portion of the building, where the outbreak is believed to
have started. Several large rooms were badly damaged and part of the roof
was destroyed. Heirlooms and other valuables were saved. The castle,
which was requisitioned for war purposes a considerable time ago, was completed
by Lochiel's great-grandfather in 1837 to replace the
old castle, which was burned down towards the end of the eighteenth
century. In June 1938, members of the Cameron Clan
from all parts of the world attended a great rally at Achnacarry.
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Editor's Notes: In
fact, "Old Achnacarry" was burned down in 1746.
Also see the excerpt from
Donald Gilchrist's book, "Castle Commando," regarding this fire. |
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