Palomar Mountain News

Considering a fixer on Palomar? Wee Bit o’ Scotch just might check all the boxes. Almost 500 square feet, it looks very cute but there is really nothing it doesn’t need. Oh, because of the amount of love required, it does need to be a cash purchase. Click to see inside.

From the sisters who are letting the cabin go to new owners (Is that YOU?):

“Our family roots go back four generations on Palomar Mountain as Wee Bit o’ Scotch has been a getaway for over 9 decades. In 1931 our grandfather Wallace Stewart (a very fine Scotchman!) built the cabin. An early settler of Escondido, he and our Grandma Margaret would saddle the horses and ride up the Mountain with the children. You might still be able to see remnants of the hitching post under a large oak tree off to the side. (Next time you are in Escondido, pop by Grape Day Park.  When our grandparents were building a new house, they donated their big two story Victorian home to the Historical Society and it is available to tour). 

In the mid 50’s, our mom, Peggy Stewart inherited the cabin. At Escondido High School, Mom and her brother were pretty famous on Friday snow days for inviting friends to ditch school to be the first ones sledding on the fresh snow on Palomar.  They’d light the kerosene lamps (that we have left for you), shoo away the mice (we’ve left those, too) and build a fire in the wood stove. The cabin would be warm in no time at all.   We all used the outhouse until it fell down one day. Mom told the story about it being hauled down the mountain for one of the big bond fire evenings at the high school. A modern bathroom was added but that was 54 years ago and the roof has been leaking so you need to start over on a new idea for indoor plumbing.

Growing up, we enjoyed so many fun weekends with our cousins all piled in the back of the station wagon, traveling up to the cabin for parties and sleepovers.  Thinking back, I don’t know how mom made all those amazing meals in that tiny kitchen.  Our parties would always spill out onto the deck where we even slept sometimes. We have such fond memories playing on ‘Elephant Rock’, the giant granite boulder out front, climbing trees and hiking in the woods.  Ah, life on the mountain was such a special part of our childhood. 

We know the new owners will have to have lots of vision and skills to restore the cabin. We hope they have as much fun in that corner of the mountain that we did.” Heather and Dawn

Glad to take you on a fun adventure and show off this Wee Bit of Scotch!

Bonnie Phelps, Realtor DRE 01293655

Call or Text 760-533-1742