The EAGLE'S NEST. As the name suggests,
this room is at one of the highest points of the house and has
a wonderful balcony with sweeping views of the beautiful lake
and gardens. When our aunt, Anne Cochrane, bought an enormous
garden umbrella, we decided to use it as a parachute. We were
about to launch ourselves from the high balcony but were prevented
in the nick of time.
Once these two rooms, The Eagles Nest and Governess Room had
been allocated to young Uncle Lionel Leslie and his cousin Pat
Guthrie. On wet days to cheer themselves up they would take turns
to fire a heavy calibre six shooter revolver at each other through
the closed connecting door. One would fire and try to catch the
semi-spent bullet as they emerged from the woodwork. Fair enough.
But had they misjudged their aim, and had a bullet gone through
a thin door panel instead of through the thick frame, they would
have been killed. All good clean fun.
Sadly, these historic bullet holes disappeared when this suite
was redecorated. But the hole made by a high velocity 50 game
rifle can still just be seen in the centre of the boat house
door. For Desmond's first attempt from 600 meters across the
lake, it was a pretty good shot. But he had a bruised shoulder
for weeks afterwards. |
