A PROJECT BY KIRKHILL & BUNCHREW COMMUNITY TRUST TO TAKE OVER THE RUNNING OF WARDLAW MAUSOLEUM
The mausoleum is in Wardlaw Graveyard at the top of Wardlaw Road in Kirkhill, 8 miles west of Inverness. It was built in 1634 as the burial place for the Lovat Frasers on the end of the original parish church. The roof of the mausoleum was raised and a tower added in 1722 by the then Lord Lovat, the ‘Old Fox’ of the Jacobite Rebellion who was later buried in the crypt. It was used by the Lovats until the early 19th century. The building then fell into disrepair until the 1990’s when the Wardlaw Mausoleum Trust was formed to rescue it. This led to a restoration project with Historic Scotland and Lottery funding. The mausoleum is listed as Grade ‘A’ by Historic Scotland, the highest level of importance.
The 2 remaining trustees have been looking for a new body to take it over so they can retire. Kirkhill and Bunchrew Community Trust is preparing a business plan for the project and is managing the building for the WMT in the meantime. The KBCT Mausoleum Group is looking at ways to promote the building to encourage visitor numbers and other means to raise funds to pay for its running costs and future repairs. One of these is the current interest in the Outlander series of books and TV series whose main character, Jamie Fraser, is a grandson of the ‘Old Fox’. This has already brought fans of the books to the mausoleum and this is expected to increase over coming months. A Twitter account has been set up @WardlawMaus and already has 260 ‘followers’ from around the world.
The KBCT Mausoleum Group has now been formed. If you would like to join it, help with fund raising or simply arrange a visit please contact Erik Lundberg on 01463 831742 or erik.lundberg@btinternet.com. The mausoleum is an important asset for our community with a fascinating history. With your help it can be protected for future generations to enjoy