In northwest Arkansas, a 13,000-square-foot private residence replicates a Scottish castle. Dromborg Castle was built with varying architectural styles, which add to its authentic look. In some areas, the home looks 500 years old; in some places it appears to be 300 years old, and 100 years old in others. Visitors may have a hard time guessing the home was actually completed in 2008.
For almost three years, a team of 12 to 24 masons was onsite. They built the home with 4 million pounds of stone, and used another 1 million pounds in the landscaping. The stone was collected from an 800-acre area just south of the jobsite. To help lay the heavy stones, some of which weighed up to 4000 pounds, they custom-built a Bennu monorail to fit a Hydro Mobile P Series mast climber.
The castle's 5-foot-thick masonry base tapers to 8 inches thick at a height of 80 feet. A 1-inch water drain board between the Tyvek and stone drains water down to the flashing system. All cast stone is connected with Tapcon screws and welded to the steel framework.
