LATEST UPDATE

LEITH HALL TO OPEN ON SUNDAYS DURING JULY / AUGUST

 

Latest Newsletter available now from menu link -------Sundays August Leith Hall open 1.30 –4.30 pm

Activities and Events

Sundays August Leith Hall open 1.30 –4.30 pm
with entertainment in the music room;
22nd Aug Fiddle Concert.
29th Aug Traditional music. NTS Leith Hall project presentation
11th Sept Bel Canto Evening of music

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August 2010
Download the latest Friends of Leith Hall Newsletter ( Pdf)
If you need Adobe Reader to view it, free download here. Link

Murial Carruthers hears of her ancestor, Norman Leith-Hay's family from guide, Linda Durward.

More images of the very successful open afternoon on 22nd August from the link below

22 August Open Afternoon

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Leith Hall is a magnificent 17th Century Laird’s house situated in the heart of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It was the seat of the Leiths for generations.

Built by James Leith in 1650 the family continued to live at Leith Hall until the “ Hall “ was gifted to the “ N.T.S. “ in 1945. 1939 saw the end of the ancestral line, the young Laird, Charles Arthur O’Neill Leith-Hay, who had only been Laird for four months, was killed in a motor cycle accident on Saturday 16th September at the age of 21. Young Charles had succeeded his father Charles Edward Norman Leith-Hay, the eldest son of  James Leith-Hay who had emigrated to Queensland, N. Australia in the early 1800’s.
Charles Edward succeeded his uncle as Laird in 1900. He was a man with a love of the outdoors ( he started the Boy Scout movement in Kennethmont), a sense of fun and possessed great musical abilities. Charles Edward turned his beautiful home into a Military Hospital during the 1st World War but unlike his ancestors was not a military man. Former Leith-Hays tells the story of heroism, battles, intrigue, loyalty and love. This can be seen in the Military Museum which houses original uniforms, spoils of war, original documents including the Pardon received after Culloden. Each one tells a story.

Today there are Leiths all over the world who enquire about Leith Hall. The “ Hall “ was closed to the public in 2008. However, former staff and the newly formed “ Friends of Leith Hall ” have liaised with NTS and succeeded in having the “ Hall “ opened once again, though only on Sunday afternoons during July and August.
Special tours can be arranged at any time provided a previous booking has been made.

 

Message to Friends of Leith Hall
from Kate Mavor, Chief Executive, NTS
( 16th June 2010 )

Dear friend and supporter,

Over the last few months, staff from all over the Trust have been working hard to find new ways of working at the Leith Hall mansion house in Aberdeenshire which will help build a strong future for the property and enable the public to visit once again. 

Through dedicated efforts with the local community and the recently established Friends of Leith Hall Group, the house will be open to the public on Sundays throughout July and August 2010. The Sunday openings are possible thanks to the generous support of local volunteers.

We hope this will be welcome news for all supporters of Leith Hall.

Kate Mavor

Chief Executive

 The National Trust for Scotland
28 Charlotte Square
Edinburgh EH2 4ET 

email: kmavor@nts.org.uk

 

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Friends of Leith Hall
Minutes of Extraordinary General Meeting
Saturday 26th June 2010, Rannes Hall

Click to view Draft Minute of meeting

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Following the NTS update of 18th April a meeting between NTS staff and Friends of Leith Hall was held on 20th May. The report of the meeting gives a full update of progress to date and also some detail of the Trust's plans to hopefully see Leith Hall fully open to the public once more.

Click to view meeting Report

 

NTS UPDATE 18th April 2010

" The Trust, as part of its ongoing commitment to re-opening the Mansion House, subject to a proven sustainable business case, has approved the second stage of a project. This second stage – first feasibility study – will involve employing an accredited conservation architect to consider minor alterations internally, both to secure the future of the fabric and allow more lucrative use of the Hall. It will also include rigorous market testing of each of the proposed funding streams, which is being jointly undertaken by the Group Manager and Group Finance Manager. Now well underway, with an estimated conclusion of this project stage of August 2010. This will inform a project bid for the funding to enable stage three onwards. "

 

 

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PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION

The competition ends on 30th September, find entry details here

 

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70013 Great Britain III passes near Leith Hall, April 2010

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Due to the recent bad weather things have been a little slow but the Committee are pleased to announce that they have managed to get paperwork and forms etc together in time for launching the Friends as originally hoped at Easter.

The Friends of Leith Hall will launch over Easter, starting on Friday, 2nd April 2010. Subject to weather the Friends will be at Leith Hall between 1.00pm and 3.00pm on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. People will be able to join the group for £5.00 per individual or, each household can join for £20.00 (this can include all permanent residents of the household such as Grandparents).

Whilst the National Trust for Scotland and the Friends committee work together to try and re-open Leith Hall Mansion House, there is no guarantee of this and people are urged to join the Friends and show their support.

For further details email info@friendsofleithhall.co.uk or write to the Secretary, Friends of Leith Hall, Leith Hall, Kennethmont, Aberdeenshire, AB54 4NQ.

A Membership Application Form can be downloaded here

The National Trust for Scotland will also be holding Easter Egg Trails thanks to Cadbury's chocolate. Please see their website at www.nts.org.uk/Events/Detail/448/ for up to date information

 

6th December 2009

There was a good turn out of people at yesterday's meeting and it was decided to form The Friends of Leith Hall. A Committee was chosen and the Constitution agreed.

More to follow shortly

It is currently being proposed that a Friends of Leith Hall group be formed to work with The National Trust for Scotland in order to ensure that Leith Hall is opened again to the Public as soon as possible

A " steering group " was formed during the summer ( including local representatives and NTS staff ) to consider ideas for a Friends group and pave the way for a holding a Public Meeting in order to move the formation of The Friends of Leith Hall group forward.

We have now worked through the process and created a Draft Constitution and will present this at a meeting in the Rannes Hall, Kennethmont on Saturday 5th December 2009. Nothing is ruled in, or out. It is up to those attending the meeting to decide the way forward for The Friends of Leith Hall and a good turn out is needed to ensure the Friend's Committee is formed and can play an important part in the future of this wonderful asset to the area and country.

Representatives of the National Trust for Scotland and The Save Leith Hall campaign will address the meeting.

The event is open to all and a light lunch will be available.
The meeting starts at 1.30.

If you are unable to attend but would like to be kept informed
please forward your details to:

info@friendsofleithhall.co.uk