The Temple in Scotland

Hidden away in woods of the old Cally Estate is a little gothic tower, simply known as “The Temple”.

The Temple was built as a folly in 1779, as a decorative feature to be seen from Cally House across the parklands.  The Temple is now surrounded by trees but these are the result of the Forestry Commission who purchased the land in 1933 and would never have previous blocked the views.

The Cally Estate grounds were laid out by James Ramsay an architect turned landscape gardner.  Although there is no concrete evidence of his involvement, the construction of the folly is attributed to him.

The Temple was once occupied by William Todd, a cow herd who looked after the estate’s black cattle.  This is unusual as follies are usually decorative structures with no practical purpose. William occupied the tower from around 1782 to 1792, and brought up his family there. 

After the sale of the estate grounds The Temple became dilapidated and lost its roof over time, but it not m its charm.  In 2015 a restoration project was undertaken that saw it the folly restored for future visitors to enjoy.

The Temple has an external staircase leading up to the first floor, but visitors can go no further than the top of the stairs.