The former stately mansion home of Wilhelmina Alexander - better known as The Bonnie Lass O' Ballochmyle - as penned by national bard, Robert Burns, is on the verge of opening again, saved from the brink of destruction by a £5 million restoration project.

Historic Ballochmyle House, near Mauchline, Ayrshire, has been rescued by partners Allan McEwan and Steve Watt and now sits proudly again as the centrepiece of their Ardgowan Homes' Ballochmyle Estate.

Built originally in 1760 to an Adam brothers' design, the magnificent mansion house underwent a major extension in 1886 and was for the last 60 years of its active life used as the administrative hub of Ballochmyle Hospital.

Closed in 1996, the house rapidly fell into a state of dilapidation as vandalism and weather took their toll.

Now former hospital staff, members of the public and prospective home owners will get the chance to view the stunning transformation of the mansion and the surrounding development during an Open Weekend, planned for September 5 – 6.

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What visitors see from the outside will be a painstaking restoration of the fine red sandstone building built in 1760 for the Whitefoord family to an Adam design and later extended for the Alexander family in 1886 by architect H.M. Wardrop.

The project has been overseen by Ardgowan Homes partners Allan McEwan and Steve Watt, and the scale of their task is demonstrated by Allan's description of the sight that greeted them on their first day on the estate.

He said: "The house was a ruin. Following its closure as part of the hospital it had rapidly fallen into decline. Lead had been stripped off the roof. Water had penetrated all the floors and by the time we arrived on the scene all that remained were the walls. No roof, no ceilings, no fireplaces, no fitments. It was near to destruction.

"As part of our planning consent, we were charged with restoring the house to as near to the original as possible, and there were certain restrictions on what we could and could not do regarding the exterior design."

This included the retention of the facades, window shapes and construction and the new roof, but we were happy to comply to ensure that the building looked as close to its original magnificence as it could. This involved enlisting the help of specialist stonemasons from Donald McIntyre Stonemasonry Ltd.

The overall development programme is expected to take about five or six years.

(GK/BMcC)