Glenmalloch Lodge represents the aristocratic philanthropy that characterised the Victorian Age at its best. It lies in the middle of a wild glen, framed by wide views of the surrounding hills, with the Solway Firth just a mile or so away. The cottage was built originally not as a lodge, but rather as a picturesque schoolhouse through the philanthropy of Harriet, Countess of Galloway, some time before 1842. The Earls of Galloway had been shaping and planning these Galloway parishes for decades and Harriet worked with her husband, the 9th Earl, to orchestrate an impressive programme of educational and social initiatives over some forty years. Once, twenty-five girls were instructed in reading, writing, arithmetic and needlework in this tiny building.
The cottage’s pretty overhanging eaves give the impression of a building snuggling down into its setting. A handsome bay window hints at an opulence of detail despite the wildness around and the whole is an endearing mix of Classical, Tudor and Gothic elements. The Countess of Galloway clearly wished to demonstrate that she accorded some importance to education.
We had no hesitation in taking a long lease to enable this delightful remnant of a countess’s bounty to be saved. Claiming it as your own for a spell we think you will agree that the Countess of Galloway’s generous embellishment of a humble building in the cause of education was not been in vain.