This was the photo that captured my attention last night on Facebook.  Though it pains me to see a gorgeous historic home go to ruin, there is something lovely in this image - the crumbling grandeur of the old brickwork, a tree living where people once lived and dreamed, the gentle dappled light.  

People did live here once and I planned an interesting and lengthy history but computers being what they are, crashing and some cursing has brought me here.  The potted history is that this home dates back to Elizabethan times, bronze age cists have been found on the property and Roman legions marched nearby.  It’s called Ury House, once known as Urie and is close to Stonehaven in Aberdeenshire.  It’s had a very colourful history including religious persecution of a an early owner.  While he cooled his heels in the Tower of London, an opportunistic Colonel (and I’m not convinced he didn’t have something to do with the previous imprisonment) campaigned tirelessly.  He eventually managed, quite coicidentally, to be appointed trustee of all confiscated lands in Scotland.  Clever clogs.  He spent some time in prison himself, converting to Quakerism in the process.  More campaigning and a Barony was the prize.  He dedicated his home to the Quakers, it became a headquarters in the northeast of the country.  A son, this is the bit I love, Robert the Apologist (another long story) came alone, the son of the Apologist, known as Robert the Strong, did much to enlarge the landholdings of Ury.  Don’t you love these names?  I wonder if I can be named similarly, say, Stephanie the Gallus…(more likely to be the Blether unfortunately.)  After the five Roberts, and a little later than that, it was sold and the new owners demolished the 17th century structure and built the Z shaped affair you see the shape of today.  There was a company that had plans for a massive golf course, resort type structure but I am pleased to see they have ceased trading.  Please Historic Scotland, preserve this one.

To view previous Ury House posts, click on link below.    

(All credit for photographic brilliance to Hal Wyatt on Facebook)