Was going to say 'local', but it's actually 20 miles away. Not a lot of info available on it AFAIK. It was built around 1943 near the village of Aberfoyle, Perthshire, for Italians working in the local forestry industry, then later housed Germans. In the 1960s the site was cleared and a hotel built, but one hut was converted into the function suite entrance and remains. Letter in reception form a Signor Guido Baroni, who had been at the camp 1944-46. The only original hut left, but so heavily modified you wouldn't know that. And the rear The camp's original entrance now lies to the hotel's rear, and leads off a path into the village. And apart from various metal fittings etc, most of what's left comprises hut bases.
This one is local however. This fine Victorian mansion in Stirling- Abbeycraig Park, next to the National Wallace Monument- was PoW hostel #559. It was a vet's surgery for many years postwar, and is now a private residence.
for POWs? I take it they put many bunks in the rooms..even so, seems like there was a lot of room..one of my favorite research areas of WW2, are the chateaus/mansions/etc used in WW2....is it as it was in the 40s? it looks well built, as a lot of that era buildings/homes were...our work building is only about 15 years old, and the wall has to be repaired [ falling out ]
Think the house was extended in the '90s, Bronk, so it's not entirely original. Yes, the Trossachs is a beautiful bit of countryside.
Thanks a lot for this thread, my father had told me a lot of time about Aberfoyle and this Camp but have never found news about this camp until now, I live not son far from Mr. Guido Baroni so I could meet him, unluckily he can't remember very much. I'm looking for any possible information(pictures, info, POW working mansion in that work Camp....My father had spoken many times about that places, he remembered the lakes, mountains, forests and beautiful animal like squirrels) My fathe was imprisoned at RobRoy Work Camp since 14/08/1944 from 08/09/1945 previously he was imprissoned at: Camp 210 Central Mediterranean Area Camp 665 Cross keys-Sommerset Camp 596 East Deanstone, Doune-Stirling
Oh, that's interesting! Camp #596 East Deanston is now Creity Hall guest house (the name changed in the 1970s). It was actually a hostel rather than a camp. There's supposed to be Italian grafitti carved into the trees in the grounds of nearby Manor Hall centre for trauma (formerly Deanston House), but haven't seen it myself. I have an interest in UK PoW camps myself, and help run a Facebook group called POW UnderGround. We have quite a lot of Italian members who might be able to help you with your research. Did your father share any memories of the various camps? Would love to hear them if he did. Meant to add that camp #665 Cross Keys is near Norton Fitzwarren in Somerset. Think it's now a Royal Marines base.
