Puck's Hut, Walled Garden, Benmore House

Built in 1928, Puck's Hut in the walled garden at Benmore House commemorates the achievements of Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour and is a unique building designed by Robert Lorimer. Initially located in Puck’s Glen, on the west-facing slope of Strath Eachaig, the hut was moved in 1968 to its present location to prevent vandalism. It is octagonal in plan, with a bell-cast shingle roof, multi-pane casement windows to four sides, and a central glazed double-leaf entrance door. The hut is constructed entirely of timber, with horizontal panelling on the exterior. The interior is panelled with various types of timber grown on the Benmore estate. A figure of 'Puck' sits atop the roof, sculpted by Phyllis M Bone. Originally, the hut featured a substantial stone chimney, which was later demolished, and a window to the right of the door was added during alterations to suit the more formal walled garden setting. A photograph from around 1930 shows a rubble fireplace with an inscription to Bayley Balfour. The Benmore Estate is renowned for Benmore Botanic Garden, a collection of coniferous trees established from around 1820. Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour, Regius Keeper of the Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh from 1890 to 1922, was instrumental in establishing the Benmore Botanic Gardens. The sculptor Phyllis M Bone, known for animal carvings and her work on the Scottish National War Memorial, created the Puck figure. Puck’s Hut is part of a group of listed buildings including Benmore House, the Fernery, Steading, North Lodge and Gates, the Golden Gates, the walled garden, and the cottages to the east of the garden, all within the Benmore-Younger Botanic Garden Designed Landscape.