13 Colonial Cottages

In the summer of 1914, English businessman John Harold Abbott fell in love with the pristine, deodar-crowned ridge of Abbott Mount and decided to establish a tranquil European-style settlement away from the bustling cantonments of Mussoorie and Nainital. Over a five-acre horseshoe ridge, he constructed 13 charming stone-and-timber cottages characterized by sloping red corrugated-iron roofs, broad verandas, bay windows, and grand stone chimneys.

Each cottage was designed with massive stone hearths to keep residents warm during crisp Himalayan winters, surrounded by terraced English gardens blossoming with hydrangeas, wild roses, and sweet peas. Over a century later, several of these heritage bungalows remain beautifully preserved, some still owned by descendants or transformed into atmospheric heritage homestays where guests can experience the romance of early 20th-century hill station living.

The walking path connecting these 13 cottages winds peacefully under towering pines and deodars. Along the way stands the infamous Bungalow No. 9 and its adjacent clinic known as 'Mukti Kothari' (Room of Deliverance), which belonged to an eccentric early physician, Dr. Morris, giving rise to captivating local ghost tales and spine-chilling colonial folklore.