The first written record of the Blankenfelde manor dates from 1689 when the owner was Ernst von Medem. The estate changed owners several times and was part of the von Hahnide family from 1840 until 1920. Between 1804 and 1805 the manor belonged to the Russian imperial house of Andreas von Königfelsile. Louis XVIII, King of France, lived in Blankenfelde manor for a while when he was in exile.
The complex structure of the manor dates from the mid 18th century, and the main building erected in 1743 has a 19th-century English-style park. There are currently ideas for the exploration of the estate in the concept of private ownership and tourism. The renovation work of the main building is now underway. Blankenfelde estate flower garden is part of the spring tulbifestivale.
References:The Broch of Gurness is an Iron Age broch village. Settlement here began sometime between 500 and 200 BC. At the centre of the settlement is a stone tower or broch, which once probably reached a height of around 10 metres. Its interior is divided into sections by upright slabs. The tower features two skins of drystone walls, with stone-floored galleries in between. These are accessed by steps. Stone ledges suggest that there was once an upper storey with a timber floor. The roof would have been thatched, surrounded by a wall walk linked by stairs to the ground floor. The broch features two hearths and a subterranean stone cistern with steps leading down into it. It is thought to have some religious significance, relating to an Iron Age cult of the underground.
The remains of the central tower are up to 3.6 metres high, and the stone walls are up to 4.1 metres thick.