Case Study: Strashmashie Cottages - page 2                       previous page · next page

Again in 1996 the houses along with the rest of the Strathmashie Estate were put on the market by Touche Ross. Laggan Housing Committee approached the Rural Housing Service to ask for help in putting together a new project to purchase and renovate the Strathmashie Houses. The community felt there was a continuing need for housing and further need would be generated by the Forestry Initiative. The Houses The Strathmashie houses were built in 1954 by the Forestry Commission for their workers. When the Forestry Commission scaled down its operations it sold the properties. Some were sold to sitting tenants, the others along with the rest of the Strathmashie Estate was sold as surplus to requirements in 1985 to a company owned by a Mr Herbage and registered in the Cayman Islands.

During this period of ownership the cottages remained mostly empty - four remaining empty for almost twenty years. In the late 1980's Mr Herbage went bankrupt and the houses and the Estate was put in the hands of Cork Gully, the liquidators. The liquidation was subsequently transferred to Touche Ross.