Lochnell Observatory

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Lochnell Observatory

Lochnell Observatory , also Lady Margaret's Tower , is a tower near the Scottish village of Benderloch . The tower stands on the grounds of the Grade II listed Lochnell House . It stands on a ridge just a few hundred meters from the shore of Ardmucknish Bay , a bay in the Loch Linnhe inlet . Due to its location, the viewing platform of the Lochnell Observatory offers a distant view of Loch Linnhe and its tributary Loch Etive and the island of Mull . Lady Margaret's Tower can also be seen from a distance. In 1980 the Lochnell Observatory was added to the Scottish List of Monuments in Category A.

In the access area of ​​the tower, a plaque is embedded in the masonry, which names the year of construction 1754 and the builder Lady Campbell . Historic Scotland , however, indicate the early 19th century as the construction period.

description

The Lochnell Observatory, built of quarry stone, has a square floor plan. The tower is entered through an entrance opening in the northeast. From there a spiral staircase leads up and ends at the viewing platform. This is bordered by a crenellated and decorated parapet. Below the parapet, semi-arches are embedded in the masonry on all four sides of the tower, which are set off by surrounding decorative bands. From the platform, the significantly smaller and also square tower end protrudes a few meters into the air. According to information from Historic Scotland, the Lochnell Observatory burned down in 1850. As this information cannot be supported by any second literature evidence, it may be confused with the confirmed fire that devastated parts of Lochnell House around this time.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Listed Building - Entry . In: Historic Scotland .
  2. ↑ Entry on Lochnell Observatory  in Canmore, the database of Historic Environment Scotland (English)
  3. ^ Argyll: an inventory of the ancient monuments , Volume 2, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions of Scotland, 1975, p. 265.
  4. ↑ James W. Miller: Miller's royal tourist guides to the Highlands and Islands , 1877, p. 36.
  5. ↑ a b F. A. Walker, F. Sinclair: The Buildings of Scotland: Argyll And Bute , Penguin Books, London, 2000, pp. 390-391.

Web links

Coordinates: 56 ° 29 ′ 21.8 ″  N , 5 ° 26 ′ 29 ″  W.