Highland House is the shell of an 18th-century colonial mansion that once served as the headquarters of the Codrington family, who leased the entire island of Barbuda from the British Crown between 1685 and 1870. At its peak the estate managed hundreds of enslaved workers producing cotton and livestock. The ruins — thick stone walls, arched doorways, the outline of a substantial building — stand alone on the Barbuda Highlands plateau, surrounded by dry scrub.
The Codringtons were an unusual colonial family in that they also endowed a theological college in Barbados (Codrington College, still operating) with their Barbuda profits. Their lease of Barbuda was itself peculiar — they held the island for nearly two centuries in exchange for an annual payment of "one fat sheep, if demanded." The ruins sit on high ground with views across the flat island to the lagoon and the sea in multiple directions.
Getting here requires a vehicle and local knowledge; the track from Codrington village is unmarked. Most guided Highlands tours include Highland House as a stop.