Calda House

The second MacKenzie of Assynt, Kenneth, was persuaded by his wife to abandon the austerity and discomfort of Ardvrek in favour of a new house at nearby Calda. Begun in 1726 it was the first classical style house in the northwest highlands and at that time would have been very grand indeed.

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Amid mounting debts, the luxury-loving Mackenzies were forced to put their grand house up for sale and a struggle for control of Assynt now ensued between the MacKenzie Earl of Seaforth and the Earl of Sutherland. In 1736 some MacKenzie supporters deliberately torched Calda House to prevent it ever being used by the Sutherlands!