history of the glendaruel bedroom

Glendarual - The glen of the red river

Gleann – glen

Ruadhai l – red

Glendaruel is an area steeped in history and has been occupied at least since the Neolithic period, around 5000 years ago. St. Modan, a follower of St. Columba, established a monastery in the Glen, and St. Modan's Well can still be seen.

The old name for the Glen is Glenduisk, meaning "The Glen of Blackwater". The ‘ruel’ or ‘red’ probably refers to the colour of the soil but may also relate to the 11 th century battle fought between the Gaels and Norse invaders led by Mekan, King of Norway, son of Magnus Barefoot. Legend has it that the slaughtered Scandinavians were thrown into the Ruail or Ruel and that the river of red blood.

A prominent landmark in Glendaruel was Dunans Castle, a favourite with artists and photographers, until it burned down in January 2001. The only remaining structure is the stone gateway, a replica of the gates of the Indian city of Lucknow. Sir Colin Campbell, who once lived at the Castle, led the relief of Lucknow in 1857. The bridge over the River Ruel was built by one of the family to commemorate the defeat of Napoleon by the British Army at Waterloo.