An Interesting History
Coillemore is the anglicised version of Coille Mhòr, meaning “Great Wood” in Gaelic, which is the name of the wood directly above the house, part of the National Trust-owned Balmacara estate, a traditional Highland crofting estate. The name Coille Mhòr recalls the original ancient Great Wood of Caledonia that stretched across Scotland after the last ice age, and is in fact a rare example of the temperate Celtic rainforest. The house itself retains many original features and enjoys a wonderful location above the village, with south-facing views over Loch Alsh, Skye, over to the Munros Beinn Sgritheall on the Glenelg Peninsula and beyond to Ladhar Bheinn in Knoydart on a clear day.
Coillemore House was built in 1839 by the Matheson Family. The house was originally made for the Factor of the Estate with its position on the hill providing the perfect viewpoint from which to survey the crofts below. Following the factor’s residence, ownership of the house passed to Alexander and Lady Hamilton in the 1920’s and they rented it out as a shooting lodge. Inhabitants included Captain James Mason who wrote an account of this time here called 12 Years residence on the West Coast and who lived at the house from 1881 to 1893. A copy of his book can be found on the coffee table in the front reception room and makes for an interesting evening read.
1900,s
In later years the house was occupied by 2 generations of Doctors by the name of Macrae. Initially the house was used as the doctors consulting room and a dispensing chemist as well as the family home. It was entirely self sufficient and had a cow in the back garden to provide daily milk alongside a chicken coop and vegetable garden. The water for the house was fed by a spring for drinking water, still there to this day just off the road above the house to the left near the farmers gate. Bathing water was fed from the burn just across the road from the front gate and fed into the large iron bath which now rests in the main bathroom. The water which was stained by tanins from the peat on the hill meant it was difficult to tell if you were washing off the dirt or washing it back on. There was no central heating until recently so all heat came from the many fireplaces and later from the large AGA which used to reside in the kitchen. The Macrae doctors were ahead of their time and provided free medical treatment to the whole community covered by a small stipend which everybody in the community paid yearly. Our first guests in the house were 5 brothers who had either visited or been born in the house and were cousins of the Macrae children Malcom, Farqhar and Mary. They had visited the house often as boys and remembered stocking the local lochans with trout and planting saplings which are now towering trees in the garden. They also recalled how the fireplace in the main living room had a real tigerskin from Rangoun which sat in front of the fire, replete with stuffed head and the shot which had made it a trophy of the time. Its fate was however ignominious, as it became more moth eaten over the years it eventually provided a warm and weathertight roof to the chicken shed. Presumably scaring off pinemartens looking for a midnight feast at the same time !
2000,s
The most recent inhabitant of Coillemore house had moved in with his wife and they had loved the house and gardens dearly. However sadly with the passing of his wife the scale and effort required to maintain both the house and the gardens eventually proved too much. The garden had become overgrown and wild and the house had detoriated with damp and rot. It has taken several years of extensive repairs and renovations, installation of central heating, mains water, a full rewire and extensive structural works to bring the house back to life. Its sensitive restoration can still be seen with original features left intact and some of the stone and lathe and plast walls left exposed. The restoration was only made possible by a incredible can-do team who went above and beyond the call of duty to help restore it to its former glory and it owes them many thanks.
