MrFish
19-10-2010, 09:45 PM
Westhall House (former country estate/hotel), Aberdeenshire.
It's been a few years since I first took a look in by Westhall and wow has the place deteriorated... I shouldn't be surprised I guess given the state of many other sites that receive far more maintenance, but it really is shocking.
A word of warning to anyone considering going - Anything above the ground floor is potentially dangerous, watch your step. NOT recommended for solo explores. That said, the somewhat tricky access should keep the muppets out anyway...
Made it out with Narcosynthesis after our previous attempt not long ago was foiled by horrible weather and not knowing how well armored the place now is! The ground floor is completely shuttered up with some lovely perforated steel sheets that keep out the looters, but not the weather. Smart.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/5097759856_e8b1fb9a95_z.jpg
Some renovation work from before the hotel closed down, never completed. Looks bad but is in fact fairly solid.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5097760004_77fa0ea678_z.jpg
The bar is in remarkably good nick compared to many of the rooms around it, although that lovely decorative fabric on the wall won't be there much longer I think...
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5097162849_dfb0a2ee86_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5097163033_6e4a389a13_z.jpg
That collapsed patch of ceiling on the left has a weak spot in the floor right under it, hidden by debris. Watch your step.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/5097163215_5ca3a30a34_z.jpg
Somehow I don't think this kitchen will be winning any hygiene awards in the near future...
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/5097163387_653a809f6b_z.jpg
In the corridor outside the kitchen, a large chunk of ceiling is now on the floor.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/5097760946_d52b8e6564_z.jpg
Far less deterioration is seen in the oldest parts of the building and the cellars. Probably due to their being mostly made of huge lumps of rock rather than more "modern" building materials.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5097761138_eb1724a48d_z.jpg
Between the rapidly diminishing light and concerns over the stability of the upper floors, we didn't go beyond the ground floor on this trip. A return visit earlier in the day is on the cards to properly assess the state of the floors above, but I don't hold too much hope for it anymore, much of the building is now nothing more than a rapidly rotting shell :(
It's been a few years since I first took a look in by Westhall and wow has the place deteriorated... I shouldn't be surprised I guess given the state of many other sites that receive far more maintenance, but it really is shocking.
A word of warning to anyone considering going - Anything above the ground floor is potentially dangerous, watch your step. NOT recommended for solo explores. That said, the somewhat tricky access should keep the muppets out anyway...
Made it out with Narcosynthesis after our previous attempt not long ago was foiled by horrible weather and not knowing how well armored the place now is! The ground floor is completely shuttered up with some lovely perforated steel sheets that keep out the looters, but not the weather. Smart.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/5097759856_e8b1fb9a95_z.jpg
Some renovation work from before the hotel closed down, never completed. Looks bad but is in fact fairly solid.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4083/5097760004_77fa0ea678_z.jpg
The bar is in remarkably good nick compared to many of the rooms around it, although that lovely decorative fabric on the wall won't be there much longer I think...
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4149/5097162849_dfb0a2ee86_z.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4111/5097163033_6e4a389a13_z.jpg
That collapsed patch of ceiling on the left has a weak spot in the floor right under it, hidden by debris. Watch your step.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4128/5097163215_5ca3a30a34_z.jpg
Somehow I don't think this kitchen will be winning any hygiene awards in the near future...
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/5097163387_653a809f6b_z.jpg
In the corridor outside the kitchen, a large chunk of ceiling is now on the floor.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4108/5097760946_d52b8e6564_z.jpg
Far less deterioration is seen in the oldest parts of the building and the cellars. Probably due to their being mostly made of huge lumps of rock rather than more "modern" building materials.
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4127/5097761138_eb1724a48d_z.jpg
Between the rapidly diminishing light and concerns over the stability of the upper floors, we didn't go beyond the ground floor on this trip. A return visit earlier in the day is on the cards to properly assess the state of the floors above, but I don't hold too much hope for it anymore, much of the building is now nothing more than a rapidly rotting shell :(