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Summary

Description

1890. 2-storey, irregular plan, multi crow-stepped gabled Scots Baronial house with 3-stage crenellated entrance tower in S re-entrant angle and conical roofed turret to W. Stands on steep site within own grounds on main entrance road to Ballater from W. Pink coursed granite with grey granite dressings. Base course, string course. Rounded arrow slits to gable apex and to top of entrance tower. Crenellated terrace with circular bastion feature with decorative ironwork screen.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: asymmetrical elevations. Entrance elevation to S with angled entrance tower with 6-panel timber door. To left, stair tower with long stair window. To far left, advanced 2-storey gabled bay with tripartite advanced windows.

W elevation, 2-leaf timber door with ornamental hinges in shallow segmental arch to right with corbelled bipartite window above.

Predominantly plate glass timber sash and case windows, some bipartite and tripartite with timber mullions. Some narrow timber fixed light plate glass windows to tower. Grey slates. Gable stacks, some with decorated square cans.

INTERIOR: original floor plan largely extant. Good Victorian decorative scheme in place with many original features. Fine cornice plasterwork in public rooms and circular pierced screen to staircase. Stair window with painted glass margins. Circular entrance porch with decorative encaustic tiled floor and niches. Small lead lined sink under back window in 1st storey back corridor.

BOUNDARY WALL: granite rubble with saddleback coping. Low to S, interspersed with tall coped sections. Pair of square gate piers with pyramidal coping.

Statement of Special Interest

This is an excellent example in Ballater of a compact Scots Baronial villa, set within its own grounds, with a commanding position in the streetscape and containing many Baronial features, including crow-stepped gables, conical turret and crenellated entrance tower. It has an interesting terrace with an unusual circular bastion and retains a fine interior with many original features. Braemar Road is an area of Ballater which underwent transformation from wooded countryside to elite suburb during the last 30 years of the 19th century. A succession of prestigious houses were built on spacious plots along the road, reflecting Ballater's popularity with the wealthy as a summer base to explore the Highlands. This popularity was due in part to the proximity of Balmoral and the strong connections of the area with Queen Victoria.

This house was built for The Rev Dr Alexander Ogilvie, headmaster of Robert Gordon's School in Aberdeen.

References

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