Help locating Old Drynoch and Ellanraich on Skye

[gemmanoon]

Hey all, hoping a local can help me out here!

I'm trying to locate where Old Drynoch house/manor stood in in the 16/1700s. It was the home of the Macleods of Drynoch from Donald Glas Macleod through to Norman Macleod, 4th of Drynoch, who moved his family to the newly built Ellanraich - more on that place next.  I know the family moved back to a farm called Drynoch a couple of generations later, which is generally presumed to be the ruins of Gesto House in Bracadale. The diaries of one of the last Macleods of this line to live at the house recalls walking to look at the ruins of "Old Drynoch" in the 1840ish period, described as being located at "the cullin hills about ten miles south at the head of a long bay," but it was written some 50+ years later after a lifetime in another country. Can anyone help me locate it, or let me know if there is anything still visible on this spot?

Right, Ellanraich - it was in the Glenelg area and the family at the time were buried in the local church, but I dont' have any other leads in locating it. Macleod of Macleod sold off the Glenelg estates in the early 1800s I believe, but that's the only reference I can find. If anyone can point my in the right direction, it is MUCH appreciated!

[Forfarian]

Gesto https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NG3536
Drynoch https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NG4031 is several miles south-east of Gesto at the head of Loch Harport.

Glenelg is not on the Isle of Skye. It is a parish on the mainland opposite Skye. Eilanreach still exists, though the spelling is slightly different
https://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/NG8017

[gemmanoon]

Forfarian, you are an absolute superstar, thank you. Much appreciated! It looks like any ruins of Old Drynoch house are gone now, but with luck they might be on old survey maps.

Thanks again!

[Forfarian]

You're very welcome.

https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=15&lat=57.30194&lon=-6.30824&layers=5&b=1 is the first edition of the Ordnance Survey six-inch map showing Drynoch.

[gemmanoon]

Hmmm, curiouser and curiouser. The property on the maps seems to be the same place that's now a holiday cottage, but this was a shepherd's cottage and doesn't seem to have fallen to ruin the way "History of THe Macleods" describes, however I've double checked and Mary Macleod says "Old Drynoch", no mention of ruins or disrepair. I think this is probably the right location, now to find out when the standing house dates to...

Honestly, this was supposed to be a minor path to research but I'm committed now, lol!

[AlanBoyd]

Hmmm, curiouser and curiouser. The property on the maps seems to be the same place that's now a holiday cottage, but this was a shepherd's cottage and doesn't seem to have fallen to ruin the way "History of THe Macleods" describes, however I've double checked and Mary Macleod says "Old Drynoch", no mention of ruins or disrepair. I think this is probably the right location, now to find out when the standing house dates to...

Honestly, this was supposed to be a minor path to research but I'm committed now, lol!

Are you assuming that Drynoch Lodge is the same place as "Old Dynoch"? Here is a 19th century description (OCR unedited so some errors) from Scotland's Places:

Drynoch Lodge

A very neat and commodious house used as a shooting lodge it built of stone two storeys in height slated & in first class repair & situate adjacent to the county road about 5½ miles from Sligachan Inn & 1 mile from the head of Loch Harpot. McLeod of McLeod propr. [proprietor]

you can view the original here:

https://scotlandsplaces.gov.uk/digital-volumes/ordnance-survey-name-books/inverness-shire-os-name-books-1876-1878/inverness-shire-skye-volume-01/19

[gemmanoon]

Are you assuming that Drynoch Lodge is the same place as "Old Dynoch"? Here is a 19th century description (OCR unedited so some errors) from Scotland's Places:

Drynoch Lodge

A very neat and commodious house used as a shooting lodge it built of stone two storeys in height slated & in first class repair & situate adjacent to the county road about 5½ miles from Sligachan Inn & 1 mile from the head of Loch Harpot. McLeod of McLeod propr. [proprietor]

At this stage, I have no idea. I have a description from Mary Fry Macleod written long after the fact, where she refers to "Old Drynoch" and describes a location that lines up with the location of Drynoch Lodge. Separately in the History of the Macleods, Mackenzie says that Tormod Mor Macleod moved to Glenelg at some point around 1800, and that "the old house at Drynoch was allowed to fall into decay." It could have been anywhere in the area, to be fair, because I'm assuming Mary meant the old house, when she might have meant the village. What is now Gesto House was called Drynoch when her father lived there, and they named their Ontario estates Drynoch as well.

[Forfarian]

I have no opinions on which of the buildings at Drynoch, either now or on the 1st edition 6-inch, is or was the site of the original Drynoch House.

It's not unlikely that the ruins were cleared and a new house built at some point, but whether that was in the 19th, 20th or 21st centuries I cannot say.

I note that both Drynoch and Drynoch Lodge are on the six-inch map.

[gemmanoon]

I have no opinions on which of the buildings at Drynoch, either now or on the 1st edition 6-inch, is or was the original Drynoch House.

It's not unlikely that the ruins were cleared and a new house built at some point, but whether that was in the 19th, 20th or 21st centuries I cannot say.

Thanks, It probably doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things, I just get obsessed over details.