Ossian's Hall is a Georgian structure located at
The Hermitage in Dunkeld, Scotland. The Hermitage and
Ossian's Hall of Mirrors was originally an unremarkable
view-house in a position overlooking the Black Linn
falls of the Braan, a tributary of the River Tay. This
folly was built on a rocky outcrop for the 2nd Duke of
Atholl in 1757.
The Hermitage was redecorated in 1783 as a shrine to the
blind bard, Ossian. Ossian is the narrator and purported
author of a cycle of epic poems published by the
Scottish poet James Macpherson from 1760. Macpherson
claimed to have collected word-of-mouth material in
Gaelic, said to be from ancient sources, and that the
work was his translation of that material. Ossian is
based on Oisín, son of Finn or Fionn mac Cumhaill,
anglicized to Finn McCool, a legendary bard who is a
character in Irish mythology. Contemporary critics were
divided in their view of the work's authenticity, but
the consensus since is that Macpherson framed the poems
himself; based on old folk tales he had collected.
The redecorated hall was intended to evoke features of
'shock' and 'amazement' in the viewers' minds; the room
from where views of the waterfall were taken was lined
with mirrors which made the spectator imagine that the
water was appearing from all angles. William Wordsworth
composed a poem which described the 'World of Wonder' in
this room. Another description states that in the 1780s,
visitors entering were met by a painting of Ossian
serenading a group of maidens. The guide operated a
device that withdrew the painting into the wall,
providing access to another room - a hall of mirrors -
giving the illusion of water pouring all around
reflecting the river cascading outside. In 1803 the hall
had walks that were intersected, here and there, by a
small garden of fine flowers among rocks and stones'.
These small-scale gardens have since gone.
Garnett in 1800 visited the site. He describes the 'Hall
of Mirrors' as having its sides and ceiling covered with
mirrors, in which "the cascade is seen by reflection,
sometimes running upwards, contrary to the direction of
gravity, and sometimes in a horizontal stream over the
head."
In 1869 vandals blew up part of Ossian's Hall and the
area was left to decay. In 1943 the 8th Duchess of
Atholl donated it and 33 acres (13.3ha) of, by then,
coniferous woodland along the banks of the River Braan
to the National Trust for Scotland in accordance with
the wishes of the late Duke. The National Trust for
Scotland has restored the building for the use and
enjoyment of the public.
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