The History of Blackburn House

Home of Fitwise Management Ltd.

The average person living in Britain spends about 11 ½ years at work, or 99,117hrs. That’s a lot of hours! So if you’re going to spend nearly 100k hours at work, why not do it with a view other than a car park?

Blackburn House is situated between the wee towns of Blackburn and Seafield in West Lothian, Scotland. The area of Blackburn became a prosperous location with the construction of the Great Toll Road in 1764, and the estate was built by sugar plantation owner and agricultural reformer, George Moncrieff, in 1772. Moncrieff, who became owner of the town of Blackburn, built it for him and his wife for a total sum of £8,000. Wouldn’t that be a nice mortgage to have?

Since Moncrieff’s death in 1798, the estate has been home to countless owners, from his nephew, Major Clarkson, coalmaster and Entrepreneur, Thomas Douglas, to the Pender Family, pioneer in telecommunications in 1871.

Sadly, from WWII to 1991, there was a struggle to keep tenants and the house fell into disrepair in the 1970s. Thankfully though, in 1971 the house was listed as a category A property, which gave it legal protection against demolition.

A project was undertaken in 2002 by the former Cockburn Conservation Trust, known today as the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, to restore Blackburn House, and in December 2005, the £3.5 million restoration began.

The house itself was designed for comfort and display, with the grandeur of the elegant principle rooms, two connecting pavilions, and perfected symmetry, it crafts the perfect work environment.

Today, it is home to local businesses, including ourselves, Fitwise Management Ltd. We are lucky enough to use the main house of the estate as our office, making our time at work feel a bit more like being at home… with horses in the garden, of course.

Photos of Blackburn House and its restoration courtesy of the Scottish Historic Buildings Trust.

For more information on Blackburn House and SHBT, please CLICK HERE.