Airds House 

‘Claudius was offered the post and, when the family sent a servant to fetch their son for the summer, they took the 14-year-old Claudius back with them. The journey took two days and was along a rough and often boggy path. ‘Here we are’ said the servant, as they emerged from the woods to see a big white house across the field. ‘That’s Airds House.’ This is a quote from The Claudians: gardens, landscapes, reason and faith: John Claudius Loudon and Claudius Buchanan, Tom Turner (Kindle, 2024).

More about Airds House 

The mansion was built c1745 for Donald Campbell of Airds. It is an elegant Georgian mansion situated on a promontory overlooking Loch Linnhe. The architect remains unknown. It's a white-harled three-story central block with two smaller wings connected by curved walls. It was built in the 18th century on the site of a much older structure. The house was owned by the Campbell clan, who were powerful landowners in the region. Airds is a prime example of Georgian architecture, characterized by its symmetrical facade, Palladian windows, and elegant interior design. Over the centuries, the house has been home to various members of the Campbell clan, including prominent figures in Scottish history.

The young Claudius Buchanan was employed as a tutor to the Campbells of Airds. Hugh Pearson wrote that 'In the year 1773, at the age of seven years, young Buchanan was sent to a grammar school at Inverary in Argyleshire, where he received the rudiments of his education, and is said to have made considerable proficiency in the Latin and Greek languages. He continued at Inverary till some time in the year 1779, when he was invited to spend the vacation with his school-fellow, John Campbell, of Airds, near the island of Mull; and in the following year he received an appointment, which would be deemed extraordinary in this part of the kingdom, but is by no means uncommon in Scotland. This was, to be tutor to the two sons of Mr. Campbell of Dunstafnage, one of whom was, in the year 1803, Captain of the East India Company's ship, United Kingdom. As he had then only just completed his 14th year, his literary acquirements can scarcely be expected to have been extensive. Yet the very appointment to such an office, at so early an age, is in itself honourable to his character, and his continuance in it during nearly two years may suffice to shew, that his conduct proved satisfactory to his employer. About this time he was again under considerable impressions of a religious nature, which he communicated to his excellent grandfather, who carefully cherished them, and assured him of his prayers. For a few months he continued in this promising course, spending much time in devotion amidst the rocks on the sea-shore near which he was then residing: but at length his serious thoughts were dissipated by the society of an irreligious companion, and his goodness, like that of many a hopeful youth, vanished " as a morning cloud, and as the early dew;" nor was it till many years afterwards, that painful and salutary convictions led him to seek that God whose early invitations he had ungratefully refused.'

Claudius Buchanan became much more famous than his aristocratic employers at Airds and elsewhere.