A STUNNING former manse is up for sale which boasts a very famous “neighbour” – Rob Roy MacGregor.
Scotland’s answer to Robin Hood lies buried just 150 metres from the £585,000 property which was once home to the minister of Balquhidder Old Parish Church.
Craig An Turic is set amongst picturesque Stirlingshire countryside and offers potential buyers four large bedrooms, 1.56 acres of land and a private pond.
The property was built in 1774, just over four decades after Rob Roy was laid to rest in the churchyard, where his wife and two of his children are also buried.
Rob Roy was an outlaw and a solider, well-known for his role during the Jacobite uprising in the early 1700s. Liam Neeson played him in the 1995 Holywood movie.
Despite his fondness for robbery and rebellion, Rob Roy survived and was able to live out the rest of his days in the Balquhidder area.
His gravestone, a minute’s walk from the old manse, says “MacGregor despite them”, a reference to the Crown’s ban on the name of the troublesome clan.
According to the marketing agent, Savills, the impressive family home is in a “superb setting” in the Balquhidder Glen.
The brochure read: “Creag an Tuirc House was originally built as the manse to Balquhidder Old Parish Church well known for the grave of Rob Roy MacGregor.
“The C-listed house dates back to 1774 and was subsequently extended in 1825 and again in 1890.
“Creag an Tuirc House has a stunning setting at the head of Loch Voil with superb south facing views towards the Balvaig River and over the Balqhuidder Glen in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
“It sits in front of an imposing outcrop known as Creag an Tuirc (Boars Rock) which was the ancient rallying place of the clan MacLaren.”
It added: “Creag an Tuirc offers beautifully presented living space and retains a wealth of traditional character from top to bottom.
“The driveway passes through wooden garden gates and sweeps through the front garden up to the front of the house where there is ample parking.”
For Scottish history fans, the house also provides the perfect location to visit Rob Roy’s grave, which lies just metres to the west of the property.
Born in March 1671 in Glen Gyle in the southern Highlands, Rob Roy was the third son of Donald Glas – a MacGregor chieftain – and Mary Campbell.
Alongside his father Rob Roy fought for the Jacobites uprising of 1689 against King William III.
However, after playing a small part the 1715 Jacobite uprising, he was charged of treason.
He was captured at Balquhidder and despite managing to escape, he was captured again after the Duke of Atholl broke a pledge of safe passage and imprisoned in Dunkeld.
The feisty Scot escaped for a second time after bribing the guards.
In 1723, whilst still alive, author Daniel Defoe wrote a fictionalised account of Rob Roy’s life – Highland Rogue.Because of this Rob Roy became a legend in his own lifetime and his popularity with the public led to a pardon for his crimes from George I.
He lived out the rest of his life in peace at Balquhidder where he died on 28 December 1734.
