The homestead of Blairbuie was given the spelling 'Blarbuy' in early maps of Strathtummel.
Although it is now fairly remote, at that time it was not far from the hill-track between Grennich and Struan which passed alongside Loch Bhac.
The 1st edition of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch map (Perthshire 1867, sheet 30), shows that in 1867 there were two dwellings in habitation. Although neither of these buildings are currently being lived in, the easterly one is still roofed and water-tight, whereas all the other buildings are in ruins. In addition, the moorland beyond the head-dyke wall is now a mature conifer plantation.
Up until 1871 the census returns show that three families were living and working at Blairbuie. In 1841, John McIntyre was a farmer of 15 acres, Alexander Stewart was a mason, and another Alexander Stewart was a wright who made spinning wheels. Two families might have lived in the 'L' shaped building, but more likely, the third family lived in the dwelling a hundred yards to the west of the other two buildings. The large quantity of stone, as well as the remains of a gable end indicate that this was quite a substantial house.
The 'L' shaped building seems to have been a house with a large store or workshop attached at one end. The remains of both gable ends are still standing as well as some of the walls. There are also the remains of two enclosures
The south-facing gable end has the remains of a mortar flushing on the left-hand side, which still has nails embedded in it. This seems to suggest that the roof of this outhouse was lower than the attached dwelling, and that the roof of the outhouse had a wooden frame, even if it was thatched.
The gable end of the house itself is even more interesting as there are two deep cavities built into it, with one still retaining its lintel. It is known that the McIntyres were one of several families making whisky using an illicit still, and Janet Dow left the following recollection of an unidentified house in Strathtummel:
There were also hidden stills in the district, and on a farm we latterly stayed in, there was the remains of a huge
barrel sunk underneath the floor in an outhouse. In the kitchen, which had a stone floor, if one lifted the flags
one could descend into a room like a cellar. It had a fireplace and the smoke came out of the kitchen chimney, so
that no one detected anything. Outside, one can still see where they could roll any caskets, up or down by chute to
this cellar. Also, in the outhouse there still is, from when the building was built, a cavity left in the gable end,
to allow them to hide a casket of whisky.
The roofed house is still water-tight, but in poor condition with structural cracks in the east gable, and sawn-through roof trusses. The original fireplaces are still intact and there is plaster on some of the walls.
The First Edition of O.S. map for Perthshire (1867), shows an outhouse, a well, and a limekiln on the moorland behind Blairbuie. The remains of the outhouse were found within the plantation, but heavily overgrown by vegetation. No trace of the well could be found, but there was a natural spring.
The site of the small limekiln was also found, but it is no more than a stone-lined depression which is gradually filling in with forest debris.
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