Fairburn Tower

Flowering of the Scottish Renaissance

The romance of Fairburn’s history matches its setting, amid wide and beautiful views in the Muir of Ord, some 20 miles west of Inverness. The mid-16th century saw the flowering of the Scottish Renaissance under the Stuarts. In 1542, James V granted Murdo Mackenzie land to build upon on this strategic spot between the Rivers Conon and Orrin. The tower Murdo built was both fit for a civilised existence and defensible against other marauding clans.

‘A grasier is all I pretend to be’

The tower was enlarged in the early 17^th century and a fine stair turret added, but the fortunes of the Mackenzies of Fairburn suffered when they remained loyal to the Stuart line in the Jacobite rebellion of 1715. When Bonnie Prince Charlie rose again in 1745, the then Laird Alexander Mackenzie declined to fight for King George because ‘a Grasier or Farmer is all I pretend to.’

Here is history to revel in, in a place that captures all of Scotland’s romantic and tumultuous past, set in the beauty of its Highland landscape.

The Inverness Museum and Art Gallery has permanent galleries, celebrating Highland life and heritage, and changing temporary exhibitions. There is also a small shop and café. Close by, the Inverness Print Studio sells a small and changing range of artworks from local printmakers as well as offering printmaking classes and workshops. Leakey’s Bookshop is the largest second-hand bookshop in Scotland, set over two floors with a fireplace in the middle. 

At RSPB Corrimony in Beauly you can see black grouse and Scottish crossbills. Three miles east of Inverness is Culloden Battlefield and Visitor Centre, where the last hand-to-hand battle on British soil was fought, changing the way of life of the Highlands and Islands forever. 

Built for defence

As first built, the tower had just four floors. The lawlessness of clan rivalries meant the external door was at first floor level, with internal stairs to a vaulted basement with gun ports. More gunholes were peppered across the stairs and upper floors. A turnpike stair within the width of the walls led to the upper floors. Archaeology has revealed that there was a cobbled courtyard around the tower, with the footings of bothies and byres, probably built against a surrounding wall.

The family prospered and in the early 17th-century, a fine stair tower was added and a usable extra storey behind the roof parapet. The two characterful bartizans (round roof turrets) may date from this or the earlier period.

But the Mackenzies backed James Stuart, the Old Pretender, when he raised the standard of Jacobite rebellion in 1715. Disgrace followed defeat, and Roderick Mackenzie sued General Wade for royal pardon in 1724. The tower was repaired. In these years too, there were no doubt other buildings and structures around the tower, as well as an adjoining dining hall, added in the mid-18^th century.

Laird Alexander Mackenzie was more cautious when Bonnie Prince Charlie invaded anew under the Jacobite flag in 1745, declining a captaincy for King George because 'a Grasier or Farmer is all I pretend to'. By now the estate was in decline. The dining hall became crofters cottages and the tower was eventually left deserted and falling into ruin. Left open to straying cattle, some say the prophecy of the legendary Brahan Seer came true, that 'The day will come when the Mackenzies of Fairburn shall lose their entire possessions; their castle will become uninhabited, and a cow shall give birth to a calf in the uppermost chamber of the tower'.

In the 19^th century, the Fairburn estate passed through the hands of various absentee landlords. The cottages adjoining the tower were lived in until the 1950s, but by 1910 an Inland Revenue Survey reported simply: 'Old Tower ruinous and of no commercial value'. Cracks opened in its walls like gaping wounds and its floors fell in. Yet even in that state, it was still recognisable as a fine and relatively well-preserved and unaltered tower residence of the Scottish Renaissance, capturing the duality of that period in both its gun-ports and in the quality and detail of its accommodation.

As an expert in Scottish tower houses put it to us at the time, ruinous Fairburn Tower was a prime example of a little altered Renaissance tower, and 'just waiting to be asked to dance'. We stepped in just in time.

For a short history of Fairburn Tower please click here.

To read the full history album for Fairburn Tower please click here.

To download the children's Explorer pack for Fairburn Tower please click here.

Scaffolding, cobbles and a global health pandemic

Work began on Fairburn Tower in January 2020. The first step was to scaffold the fragile tower, to prevent any further movement while plans were finalised. The scaffold took more than three months to erect, often in wintry conditions, to create a complex structure laced around the building. This held the crumbling historic masonry securely in place, especially important for the stair tower which was starting to detach.

While prospecting for scaffold footings, an extensive area of cobbles was discovered beneath the turf. This was uncovered and recorded by archaeologist Tom Addyman and his team, and the outline emerged of other lost structures, including the castle garth (or yard) and a possible gateway. An area of these cobbles now lies exposed, the others left in situ beneath the turf.

In late March 2020, just as the scaffolding neared completion, the Coronavirus pandemic hit and all construction stopped in Scotland. During these summer months, a barn owl and her chicks nested in the building, with equivalent implications for the project. All work at Fairburn had to stop for six months, resuming only in late October.

High-level archaeology and masonry

With the return to work – all aspects of the programme rescheduled, Covid-secure procedures in place – and with scaffolding complete, in autumn 2020 we were able to inspect and record the tower fully for the first time. This close inspection enabled detailed planning for masonry repairs, and our contractor’s skilled masons worked throughout the winter and spring of 2021 to secure and rebuild the tower. Algae was cleaned off stonework before the cracks were consolidated and repaired. New stone was introduced where necessary and a great deal of re-pointing with hot lime mortar was undertaken, protecting areas of progress with hessian during the harshest weather.

A new roof, staircase and windows

Through summer 2021, the joiners moved on site, introducing floors and roof timbers. Fairburn’s historic bartizans were reinstated, gutters fitted and slates laid. Through the second winter, specialist crafstmen used timber formwork and special concrete mixes to reintroduce a spiral staircase, created step by step in situ, stitching the historic stair tower back together. The result is a work of art in itself.

During 2022, traditional shutterboard windows were crafted and carefully installed. Harling and plastering was applied, electrics fixed and bathrooms and a kitchen introduced, the latter by Landmark’s own joinery team.

A Painted Ceiling

Although a defensive structure, it was clear even in dereliction that Fairburn had once been a high status building. There was a strong hierarchy to its storeys, and the openings and niches in the walls spoke of cupboards and strong rooms, perhaps even a private oratory on the fourth floor. This was an age when wealthy Scots decorated their ceilings with emblematic figures, symbols and texts. Given his career at court, it seems most likely that Murdo too would have commissioned a travelling painter and stainer to decorate his home, someone like John Melville, whose wonderful 1592 ceilings survive at Delgatie Castle in Aberdeenshire. In the third floor sitting room, we have commissioned our own painted ceiling from artist Paul Mowbray, based on The Rohaise Room at Delgatie. Its motifs are mostly 16th-century, but we added a few motifs of our own to represent the story of Landmark’s restoration.

Read more about recreating a 16th-century painted ceiling as Landmark’s Historian, Caroline Stanford explains the creative process in her blog.

People behind the project

Many historic building experts helped in the restoration of Fairburn Tower. They include project architect Julie Barklie, Eleanor Egan and John Sanders, all of Simpson & Brown; archaeologists Tom Addyman, Liz Jones, and Kenny MacFadyen; quantity surveyor Angus Simpson of Ralph Ogg and Partners; structural engineers Steve Wood and Ross Livingstone of David Narro Associates; service engineers Stuart MacPherson and Finlay Ross of Irons Foulner Consulting Engineers. We’re particularly pleased that our contractors Laing Traditional Masonry (LTM) employed apprentices onsite, guided by site foreman Andy Taylor and all overseen by managing director Steven Laing.

2021 restoration update and 2022 completion

Halfway through the project, Senior Regional Surveyor, Linda Lockett provided an update on the work happening at Fairburn Tower and virtual tour. Following Fairburn Tower's magnificent restoration being completed at the end of 2022, read Landmark's Director, Dr Anna Keay's, blog as she reflects on the very first visit to a crumbling Fairburn in ruin.

We are hugely grateful to the 1671 supporters who gave so generously to make the restoration of Fairburn Tower possible. 

Guardians of Fairburn Tower and other lead supporters:

Mr J Blaikie, Dr J and Mrs J Bull, Dr N and Mrs F Campbell, The Hon. Elizabeth Cayzer, Mrs E Colam, Mr B Foord, Mr C Giles, Mr R Grigson and Mr A Layng, the late Sir Angus Grossart CBE, Dame Pippa Harris and Mr R McBrien, Mr H and Mrs S Leishman, Mr J B Macintyre, Mr A Murray-Jones, Mr D Milles, Mr G Neame OBE DL, Dr A Pym, Mr M and Mrs C Seale, Mr B Sealey CBE and the late Mrs H Sealey, Lady Stirling, Mrs M Stirling, The Hon. Tobias Tennant, Sir Samuel Whitbread CBE and Lady Whitbread

Patrons and other generous individuals:

Mr S Ansell, Mr R Baker, Dr J Barney, Mr M Bennett, Ms M Chisholm, Mr P Corey, Miss S Curry, Mr A Baker and Ms S Darling, Mr J Darycott, Ms K Davies, Mr A Dean, Ms K Edwards, Mr A Fraser, Mr D Giles, Ms F Grimshaw, Mr D Holberton, Mr G and Mrs A Kingston, Mrs M Jones, Mr J and Mrs J Kinross, Mrs S Liquorish, Mrs S Lund, Mr J MacIntyre, John Mackenzie of Gairloch, Mr J Miller CBE, Mrs D Mitchard, Mr E Saunders, Dr P Strangeway, Mrs S Wiggert, Mrs S Wrangham 

Trusts and Foundations:

The Aall Foundation, H B Allen Charitable Trust, The Architectural Heritage Fund, Bartleet Family Fund, The Binks Trust, T B H Brunner Charitable Trust, The Leslie Mary Carter Charitable Trust, The Cinven Foundation, The Countess of Dunmore’s Charitable Trust, The George C Gibson Charitable Trust, The Gough Charitable Trust, Historic Environment Scotland, Michael Marks Charitable Trust, The John R Murray Charitable Trust, The Orrin Charitable Trust, Thomas Rawcliffe Charitable Trust, The Rockcliffe Charitable Trust, RV and RH Simons Charitable Trust, Tulip Charitable Trust, Viewforth Trust, Garfield Weston Foundation

Gifts in Wills and in memory:

The late Mr M Braine, the late Miss J Fry, the late Mr W Galleway, the late Mr I Glover, the late Reverend Grover, the late Mr D Lawrence, the late Mr J Owen and the late Mr A Peacock

A gift from the Will of the late Mr D Lawrence included provision for the folding footpath map and framed map of the area surrounding Fairburn Tower

Dr R and Mrs E Jurd made a donation towards the cost of the Landmark books

We thank everyone who supported the appeal, including those who have chosen to remain anonymous.