The Farm, the Fort and the ‘Big House’ on the Hill

Laws hill (in old Scottish the word ‘Laws’ actually means ‘hill’) and Laws Farm and its hinterland is rich in ancient and medieval history – Celtic/Pictic, Roman, Viking. More recently during the 17th and 18th centuries the area figured significantly in Scottish/English political and religious upheaval and intrigue.

The vitrified rock remnants of Laws Fort, which significantly predates Roman presence, lie overgrown at the highest point just above the farm buildings. The header image above focuses on the highest point where the Fort was located. An imaginary tale by Rev. Douglas Chisholm reflects on its place in the Roman era. Journey down the Ages 

Laws Mansion

Some 300 meters to the west of the Fort, at the extreme right of the Header image, the ruins of a much more recent and very grand Big House are to be found. The aerial photograph attached at the foot of this page taken in the 1940s by military aircraft (regrettably a very poor image) give some idea of what a magnificent mansion that must have been – built somewhere in the 1830s by then owner Thomas Colville, and demolished, incredibly, taken over by and subsequently blown up in exercises by the Army in fact during the 1960s.

However the stables and servants quarters which were at the rear of the mansion remain and during a 2004 visit by Kevin Wilson were undergoing some restoration work as shown in the Gallery of images below. Also shown is the original main entry into Laws Farm to the Big House which was via The Lodge on Drumsturdy Road – it has survived and is of the same design and materials as the Big House had been. See fuller story here.