Description
Dated 1793, with earlier house dated 1680, adjoining at irregular angle to rear. Work by John Smith of Aberdeen, circa 1820. Interior work by John Fowler, circa 1965.
1680 HOUSE: orientated E-W; 2-storey, 4 irregular bays, with later piend-roofed additional bay to E, adjoined to 1793 house at W with cluster of 19th century linking blocks. Harled, with Turriff red sandstone margins; chamfered reveals. Door to S, windows flanking at ground, windows at 1st floor close under eaves. 4 windows to each floor at rear, mostly enlarged. Garages inserted in piend-roofed addition.
1793 HOUSE: 2-storey raised over basement, 5-bay. Squared and coursed whinstone with galletting, suggesting block and sneck pattern; polished red and cream sandstone dressings; band course, eaves course, raised margins, rusticated quoins.
W ELEVATION: advanced, pedimented bay to centre, horseshoe stone stair with wrought-iron balustrade and ashlar piers, leading to entrance at principal floor. Tripartite door; deep-set 4-panelled door with strip fanlight flanked by paired, engaged Roman Doric, fluted piers, blind side-lights, carried frieze and cornice. Window above at 1st floor, bulls-eye to pediment with 3 dies. Windows to flanking bays at each floor; taller to principal floor.
S ELEVATION: garden terraced to level of principal floor; low door to right of centre with windows flanking. 2 windows to outer bays at 1st floor. Round-arched window to attic at centre with keystone and impost blocks, between paired stacks.
N ELEVATION: later (1820?), piend-roofed addition adjoining basement, window to right return, door to left; 2 windows to principal floor. 1st floor and above detailed as S elevation.
E ELEVATION: centre bay advanced with round-arched stair window, detailed as above. Irregular harled 19th century additions rising to 1st floor, linking to earlier house. To right, later doorway at ground, window to each floor in outer bay. Further door and windows to basement to left, and 2 windows at each floor above.
Sash and case windows with 12-pane glazing pattern predominating. Regrettable concrete tiles to pitch and platform roof, cupola lighting stair. Ashlar coped skews with skewblocks.
Broad, corniced and margined paired ashlar stacks with decorative cans.
INTERIOR: 1793 house; tripartite vestibule door, half- glazed,
with semi-circular fanlight. Hall, with paired Ionic columns and
pilasters between doors to principal rooms. Dog-leg ashlar stair
lit by round-arched stair window and cupola.
LIBRARY: to left, former dining room; circa 1830, trompe l'oeil illusionistic painted plaster ceiling, simulating carved and panelled
wood. Panelled dado. Grey marble fireplace.
DRAWING ROOM: to right, by John Fowler, circa 1965? hung with pleated grey silk, plasterwork ceiling and cornice, white marble fireplace with Neo-classical brass grate.
DINING ROOM: former library to rear; marble fireplace with window above. Door to terrace (see notes). 6 panelled doors, with panelled ingoes.