Farewell to the Hydroponicum! End of an era: the famous Hydroponicum is no more. The demolition of this strange but famous building is almost complete. Built in stages in the 1970s by Robert Irvine, then owner of the Summer Isles Hotel, it was such a tourist draw back then that the Ordnance Survey people put it on their maps as a landmark. It is still shown even now and tourists have been in the habit of turning up looking for it even though it closed about 10 years ago. It was conceived by Robert as a way of providing fresh herbs, salads, fruit and vegetables for the Summer isles Hotel at a time when you couldnt get regular deliveries to this remote and beautiful place. Where most people would have built a greenhouse and used soil, Robert built this amazing structure and used hydroponics - growing things in water, without soil. As the building was extended piece-meal over the years, it became quite an eye-sore. It was sold in 2007 to someone who wanted to knock it down and re-develop the site. Unfortunately the Planners would not give permission for the proposed houses, so in this stalemate, the Hydroponicum fell into disrepair and the wind began to slowly pull bits off. Eventually the owners agreed to the demolition. For the Summer Isles Hotel and for visitors generally, this is good news. The view has been opened up and the direct views of the sea will soon be restored. It is a piece of very welcome news for all those who know the fabulous vistas over the Summer Isles.
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 13:55:13 +0000
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