Between 1883 and 1886 Crawfordton House was built for the enigmatic Conservative politician Sir George Gustavus Walker who lived from 1831 to 1897. The property was designed by the prominent Edinburghbased architects Peddie & Kinnear, responsible for many beautiful buildings in Scotland. Constructed using local red sandstone, Crawfordton House is a wonderful example of Scottish Baronial architecture, with crow-stepped gables, towers, turrets and carvings complete with a four-storey square tower over the main entrance. In its early life Crawfordton House was largely self sufficient having its own live stock, dairy and vegetable garden. The vast estate employed around 190 local people to work as Butlers, maids, footmen, nannies, tutors, gardeners, drivers, foresters and game keepers to name a few. In those days electric lighting was something of a luxury and only installed in the more important areas of the house. Heating was also very different during the Victorian era with every room having at least one fireplace that burned coal or wood from the estate.