blairmore house, the former school's premises, is a victorian country house set amid of park and woodland beside the river deveron, from huntly, from aberdeen and from inverness. the house was designed by the architect alexander marshall mackenzie and was built in 1884 as a private house for alexander geddes, a wealthy businessman and great-great grandfather of the former british prime minister david cameron. cameron's father, ian donald cameron, was born in the house in 1932. geddes made his fortune in chicago in the us in the trading of grain in the 1850s, and a safe belonging to him which survived the great fire of chicago was installed in the house's billiard room. during the second world war it served as ghq home forces for some of the auxiliary units based in aberdeenshire and had a training area within the grounds of the house and nearby land. auxunit patrols was a special force consisting of between six and eight men trained in the utmost secrecy to a high standard. in the event of a german invasion, they would go to ground and carry out a clandestine war against the occupying forces.