At the end of April Charles presented this talk to the wonderful folk at the Forbes House Museum in the US. Over the course of an hour, Charles tells the tale of Dunans and outlines the next steps in the restoration.
Tag: Conservation Plan
… Well, I would say that wouldn’t I? Available from the ScottishLaird site, this book is the definitive account of the significance of Dunans, the bridge and the site, as well as what we have planned for the next five years. So while I continue cooking up my Special Sauce, you can get deep into the restoration project!
Very happy to announce that the sales of our Conservation Plan, both online and onsite at Dunans have been so good we have had to order a reprint of the book. Great situation to be in, and delighted that the investment in the design and print time has been worth it. This is also a testament both to the readability of Robin Kent’s report, and the interest that our Lairds and Ladies have shown in the project.
We’re anticipating high sales going into Christmas, so there’s likely to be a second reprint in September.
And here’s a question – what is the subtle difference between original print-run and this reprint? Answers in the comments please!
Hint: the photo is a clue!
We are all delighted with them, and Monday will see the first copies sent out to all the Lairds and Ladies who have ordered them from ScottishLaird.com.
This first print run is nearly all sold, so if you wish to ensure you receive a copy quickly, please order now.
Much discussion over the next stage of the work pending the consultation responses from Historic Scotland, Argyll and Bute Council, the Community Council, Development Trust and of course our Lairds and Ladies. During the afternoon we discussed the possible reasons for the round tops to the eight stanchions on the bridge (which you see in every photo of the structure). Robin, our architect, and author of the Conservation Plan (available here) thinks that they might have been designed to have obelisks or turrets atop. He made this quick, very rough sketch to outline the idea and I had to share it with you. Of course the reality is that it is unlikely they were ever built, and if they were they were taken down for good reason. More research may reveal the real intent.
After 5 hours of working through our plans we called it a day, or at least that was the intention – instead, Sadie launched into TWTC work and I, for my sins, went off for a three hour meeting with the Development Trust. It really doesn’t stop!
Laird Andrew Kerensky was the first of our Lairds and Ladies to acquire his copy of the Conservation Plan, and he has this to say about it:
Hello Dunans Castle – Home of the Scottish Laird Project I have received my digital copy of the Dunans Restoration project book thank you. It is a fascinating read… it is very well written and incredibly insightful into the work going on thus far. I’m amazed that you are allowing us one footers an opportunity to contribute some opinions and thoughts into your wonderful project. Thanks for this!
Of course we are delighted, and to whet your appetite even further, we have included the introductory spread of the book as the featured image on this post.
Both the commemorative edition for Lairds and Ladies, and the PDF version have finally been published on ScottishLaird.com. This marks the first stage in the consultation on the plan, and all answers will contribute to the development of our plans for the building, grounds and bridge.
Watch the Scottish Laird site for news on the books (in particular our Lairds’ and Ladies’ and the PDF versions), and in the meantime enjoy the inside of the ScottishLaird welcome pack A4 folder. Gorgeous isn’t it? Lots of Dunans Rising tartan, lots of Lairds and Ladies taking the tour, and lots of new information researched through the plan.
That’s the printer’s ink, the new paper and the ozone of a press that I can smell … No, but really the proof is a live book printed by Lulu, ordered three days ago and received today – and it’s lovely and glossy and just beautiful.
We’re looking for a small Scottish printer at the moment to do a run of between 250-500 hardbacks with dust jackets. And that run will be the primary publication, but we’ll continue with the more expensive Lulu version to enable easy sales around the world.
The PDF version is also nearing completion, and that’ll be immediately available on the Scottish Laird website. It’s not as glossy, but all of the text is there, albeit in a more compressed typographical form!
Really very exciting. We even have a reference number from the council now for this pre-planning stage. Of course now the hard work starts – consulting with the community council and the development trust, who are sure to be our fiercest critics!