Carnell originally belonged to the Wallace Family, for whom the original 16th century Towerhouse was built. The Estate was known as ‘Cairnhill’ on General Roy’s map of 1750. Their son, Colonel John Ferrier Hamilton, carried out many improvements to the Estate and commissioned William Burn to build a new house in 1843.

His grand-daughter, Mrs Georgina Findlay-Hamilton, inherited the Estate from a cousin in 1904 and she commissioned alterations to the house and established the gardens which remain today. Her son-in-law and daughter, Commander and Mrs J B Findlay, continued to develop the gardens. In 1965 Mrs Findlay transferred the Estate to her son John R Findlay and in 1973 Commander and Mrs Findlay moved to the Garden House which they built inside the walled garden.

The Estate has now been transferred to John Findlay’s middle son, Michael who now lives in the Mansion House with his wife Deborah and children Harry and Rosina. The designed landscape dates from the mid-18th and mid-19th centuries with the ornamental garden development dating from 1904.

Carnell House is listed category B, and is a 16th century Tower with substantial additions in neo-Jacobean style by William Burn. Later additions were made by David Bryce in 1843 and Charles Reid in 1871.



Carnell
Gardens