Reviving a Ruin: The Renovation Story So Far
When we first received the keys to Drumearn House on the 1st of November 2024, it was apparent that this beautiful old building was in a state of near collapse. Years of neglect had left it fragile, and a previous, failed renovation attempt had caused significant damage.
The former owner had removed internal walls, cut into original stonework and neglected to support key load-bearing features. As a result, the house’s structural integrity was badly compromised.
Outside, things weren’t much better. The once magnificent garden had been completely overtaken by nature. Cypress trees originally planted as hedges had grown to over 20 metres tall. Tree roots were lifting the ground and, in strong winds, this movement was actively pushing against the walls and parts of the house.
Clearing a path forward
Since then, we’ve gained permission from the local council to fell several dangerous trees, creating some much-needed space around the property and easing pressure on the structure.
Inside, we began the painstaking process of removing all the timber affected by dry rot and slowly drying out the building to stop the damage spreading further.
At the same time, we worked with Tay Ecology to secure our bat license. Critically, this allowed us to put up a full roof-covering scaffold. This essential structure will help protect the building from water ingress and create a dry, stable environment so we can start to repair the roof.
Doing our due diligence
A renovation as extensive as this requires a lot of paperwork, so a big part of our groundwork has involved getting various important assessments and interventions completed or progressed.
This includes surveys of the building and walls, a comprehensive bat survey, as well as structural integrity and rot assessments and internal feature documentation.
We’re also in the process of planning the removal of failing timber sills and their replacement with steel or reinforced concrete, which will help stabilise the building, and restoring the original garden layout.
The renovation dream team
We’ve been working with a trusted group of local tradespeople, some of whom have worked with Mattias for years.
Duncan King has been with us from day one, helping remove damaged walls and ceilings. He’s all about finding solutions, and that attitude sets the right tone for our entire team.
Our local slater, George Ferguson, was the first on site, handling emergency repairs even before the scaffold was in place, often crawling or cherry-picking to access areas. Neil Dawson from respected local joinery firm Comrie Joinery is our steady hand for joinery work and Struan Donaldson leads the restoration of the original stone walls with craftsmanship and care.
Ross Sorley from Forest to Floor took on the huge task of surveying all the trees on site. His detailed assessment included a full health check of each tree and recommendations for any necessary work. This survey was a key requirement for securing our tree felling licence.
John from JWS Joinery is our go-to rot specialist, lending his expertise wherever timber needs attention.
A B Gairns has handled all the groundwork and landscaping around the house, including operating heavy machinery and preparing the site for the next stages.
Hamish and Woody from Wood Bros purchased all 46 tons of timber we felled. They'll be milling it for use in future building projects. They teamed up with Douglas Brown (and his famous “blue beast”) to lift and remove the timber from site.
We’ve been working closely with Dunkeld Builders for the more structural aspects, including the removal of old wooden sills and load-bearing features. They’re rebuilding these using reinforced concrete and steel where necessary. They're also handling the repointing of the exterior façades — we’ve had some test panels done so we can decide on the sand colour for the final finish.
Add in Mikael who has consistently kept us moving forward, and you start to see the real foundation of this project is people.
Onwards and upwards
Even with such a talented team on task, nothing about this renovation is plain sailing, and trying to stay ahead of the existing damage and prevent further collapse has been the hardest part.
We’re also working under significant restrictions. Drumearn is a Category B listed building, so every action is scrutinised. Preserving timber features infected with dry rot is a near-impossible task, but removal and replacement must be justified.
We still have a long road ahead, but with the right people around us and the groundwork laid, we can start looking forward to some very exciting stages of the project in the coming months.
