It boasts a sinister past that has attracted controversy and wild rumours for generations.
Now Boleskine House – the former home of notorious occultist Aleister Crowley – is to benefit from £250,000 of lottery funding.
The investment, which has been awarded to the charity behind its restoration, will support capital work to complete the interior of the ruined 18th century mansion.
The funds will also be used to enable a wider programme of community engagement, with Lottery bosses saying it will support ‘the vision of Boleskine as a community and nature hub that has been at the core of ambition for the future of the historic property’.
The B-listed property – whose former owners also include Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page – is now in the hands of The Boleskine House Foundation, set up to restore the site.
Occultist Aleister Crowley bought Boleskine in 1899 with the intention of carrying out ‘black magic’ rituals
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page owned the house in the 1970s and 1980s
Foundation chairman Keith Readdy said: ‘Receiving these funds is a monumental step for our organization and the local community.
‘It allows us to complete the interior restoration of this treasured site, preserving its legacy for future generations to experience and learn from.
‘We are profoundly grateful for this support and look forward to bringing this vision to life.’
The house was badly damaged in a fire in July 2019 – the second blaze it endured in a four-year period – with most of the main building destroyed.
Rubble was even sold to help fund the restoration.
The house was badly damaged by two fires in a four-year period
Boleskine House is south of Inverness, on the banks of Loch Ness
Occultist Crowley, once described as ‘the most evil man in the world’, bought Boleskine in 1899 with the intention of carrying out ‘black magic’ rituals.
Page, who described himself as an ‘Aleister Crowley enthusiast’, owned the house in the 1970s and 1980s.
Recently the foundation, a registered Scottish charity, lodged an application with the Highland Council for final Listed Building Consent for the planned design of the house interiors.
The designs reimagine the historical elements of the building, on the banks of Loch Ness, with a nod to important eras of the house’s past, while reducing its carbon footprint.
Boleskine’s interior designs boast a Georgian style kitchen, dining room, formal wood paneled drawing room, and library and research room, while the lounge design is inspired by the Egyptian revivalist trend of the Victorian era.
Rooms will be adorned with reclaimed Jacobean fireplaces, providing a grand finishing touch.
