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Summary

Description

Earlier-mid 18th century with small 20th century addition to NE. Large 3-storey; T-plan laird's house; with flanking single storey attached wings (now largely set out as byres) forming overall U-plan complex; flanking detached single storey farm outbuildings at right angles to single storey wings, forming symmetrical layout. House: coursed sandstone rubble with stugged sandstone dressings. Adjoining wings/farm outbuildings: sandstone rubble, largely painted; SE and SW walls of that to SW rebuilt in brick and rendered; also NE wall of that to NE and SE wall of small byre to SW. Eaves cornice to house. Eaves cornices (partially remaining) to adjoining wings and adjacent byre to SW and barn/granary to NE. Stugged surrounds to most windows to house; coped gables. Dressed quoins to most of complex; long and short surrounds to entrances to barn/granary.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: 4-bay. Regularly-spaced openings with wider space of blank wall to outer right. Entrance (door missing) with later 20th century part-glazed porch with lean-to roof to 2nd bay from right. Window to each remaining bay to ground floor and those above. Blank gable ends of flanking single storey attached wings project to either side (blocked circular opening to gable of that to right); inner returns blank. 2 blocked windows and one blocked entrance to right return of left wing.

NW ELEVATION: 4-bay. Wide projecting gabled bay 2nd from right; window to each floor; 20th century rendered lean-to addition (adjoining 2 bays set back to left just below 2nd floor) projects to left side at 1st floor; entrance below. Small window to 2nd floor to each bay set back to left. 1st floor window set back to outer right bay. Gable ends of flanking wings adjoin either side of house; that to left set back slightly; eaves cornice continued across gable (gable rebuilt in brick); central entrance with boarded timber door; window to right; small lean-to addition to right; blocked window to that to right.

NE ELEVATION: single storey wing adjoins blank gable end of house (set back to right) at right angles; entrance with timber stable door to left. 2 small inserted windows to right; window to outer right. Lean-to addition to house (with window) set back to outer right.

SW ELEVATION: single storey wing adjoins blank gable end of house (set back to left) at right angles; entrance with timber stable door to outer right; 2 small inserted windows just below eaves to left; left section altered/wall removed; roof supported by cast-iron beam on this side.

ADJACENT FARM OUTBUILDINGS: set at right angles to single storey wings adjoining house (towards SE end of each). Both rectangular plan.

BARN/GRANARY TO NE:

SE ELEVATION: entrance with boarded timber door to left; 2 ventilation slits to right; arrowslit at lower level to outer right.

NW ELEVATION: entrance with boarded timber door to right; small window to left of centre.

NE ELEVATION: loft opening to gable.

SW ELEVATION: 3 ventilation slits to gable.

SMALL BYRE TO SW:

SE ELEVATION: central entrance and one (smaller) to right (doors missing).

NW ELEVATION: low lean-to addition (kennels) to right; 2 low entrances to left.

12-pane timber sash and case windows to principal (E) elevation of house; some UPVC replacements to rear . 2 9-pane fixed frames to N single storey wing. Grey slate roof to house and barn/granary to NE; corrugated asbestos roofs to wings and SW outbuilding; 3 gablehead stacks to house; one corniced; 2 coped; cans largely missing.

INTERIOR (HOUSE): retains original plan-form: 2 large rooms to either side of central staircase. Dog-leg staircase; lower flights of stone; upper ones of timber with decorative mid-later 19th century timber balustrade (incorporating plain turned and barley-sugar twist balusters). Ceiling-height chamfered segmental-arched chimney breast to front room (formerly kitchen) to right of entrance; some later infill (and inserted flue) to large recessed fireplace; beamed ceiling.

Statement of Special Interest

An imposing earlier-mid 18th century farmhouse at the centre of an interesting steading comprising various largely 18th century outbuildings. 'Craigofairn' appears as a 'noted house' on Ross' map of 1780. The current layout of buildings appears on the 1865 OS map. According to Guthrie Smith the stones used to build the house probably came from the ruins of an old castle about a quarter of a mile to the south-east of the present house. The present occupant (1999) thinks the deeds to the house go back to around 1720. It was probably erected by the Buchanan family of Craigivairn. According to the Royal Commission, who surveyed it in 1956, many of the (then) roof timbers were old bearing incised carpenters' marks. They describe a stone lintel thought to be from the complex, incorporated into the brick buttress of an outbuilding to the E, as being inscribed with the date 1732 or 1752. Part of the estate of the Duke of Montrose.

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