History of Knocklea and Surrounding Area
Strathdon - a location in west Aberdeenshire - lies at the junction of the Water of Nochty and the river Don. The church of Strathdon - sometimes known as the Cathedral of the Strath - dates from 1851. The Lonach Highland Gathering and Games are held each August in the Bellabeg Park on the north bank of the Don. The central village of the area is Bellabeg with its village store, post office Lonach hall and the famous Lonach Games grounds . Easter Knocklea - is located in the Upper Don area some three miles west of the village, 50 miles from Aberdeen, 15 miles North of Balmoral and 60 miles South East of Inverness. The surrounding mountains form part of the Grampian chain. Easter Knocklea - and the nearby Wester Knocklea cottage - was for many decades the schoolhouse and tied bothy for the area of the Strathdon glen located to the West of the current main village of Bellabeg and drew on children from the Upper Don, Glen Nochty and Allargue/Lecht areas.The main house ceased to function as a school in the 1950's and was refurbished at that time by the Candacraig estate on whose land it stood.
The house was later bought from the Candacraig estate by an Aberdeenshire builder who undertook further renovations and improvements. In 1988 the house was purchased out of feu by the current owner who engaged an architect to redesign the interior and exterior totally and add a further toilet/shower room on the upper floor as well as rebuilding the full, lower bathroom. The finished house now had a far lighter and more spacious interior with fitted carpets throughout, central heating in all rooms (including the garden room and the back mud porch) insulated walls and roofs and a powerful new water supply from the original spring feed located one mile higher up in the hills.