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Reputedly the oldest inhabited baronial mansion in Scotland that has not been rebuilt, spectacular Blair is set in its own estate surrounded by 400 acres of parkland and gardens near Dalry in Ayrshire. The oldest part of the house is the guardroom tower which dates back to 1105, while the keep behind was built separately in about 1236.
Remaining in the hands of the Blair family and its descendants for nearly 900 years, this beautiful house has grown over generations. One of the main innovators of its development was Sir William Blair, who married Margaret, daughter of the second Duke of Hamilton. In 1668, they built on the South Wing and later in 1700 the East Wing was added.
During the 1850s, Captain William Blair, a Royal Naval officer, wanted to link the two towers at ground level by digging through
the thick walls. Legend has it that as the workmen were terrified the building would
collapse, the Captain was made to sit reading his paper next to them while they burrowed so that he was also risking his life! He was responsible for much of the landscaping and opened the policies to the good people of Dalry.
Today this beautiful mansion is in the care of proud owners Luke and Caroline Borwick who were bequeathed the property after the tragic deaths of their young cousins Freddie and Jamie in a car accident. Although they and their son Malcolm (a professional polo player) have only lived on the estate for two years, they have already carried out a lot of renovations, slowly and lovingly returning their home to its former glory.
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