House & Gardens

Shiel House sits on the Briglands estate which has been owned by the Clyde Family for four generations.

Following the sale of Briglands House, Shiel was built in 1977 as a holiday retreat for the family whose primary residence was in Edinburgh. The plot chosen was a remote and densely wooded corner of the estate that boasted a view stretching all the way to Stirling.
The original plan to construct a log cabin evolved into a modern design that won an award for the architect Michael Calthrope.

Over a period over twenty years the late James Clyde and his wife Ann developed the woodland garden that now surrounds the house. The garden includes some features moved from Briglands House including Lorimar’s Sun Dial constructed from an old farm roller and the original Summer House. The ‘Millenium Dome’ at the top of the hill was created using iron supports from the old cow shed in the farm that was destroyed by fire some years back.

Shiel has been a wonderful retreat from the pressures of city life for many years for us. However as the family spread its wings away from Scotland, we decided to make Shiel available for other people to enjoy as well.