West range, Mains Of Aboyne, Aboyne Castle, Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside, Aberdeenshire

Description

Dated 1757; later remodelling. Single storey and attic, 3 ranges arranged in U-plan around courtyard. Coursed granite rubble with long and short dressings.

W (OFFICE) RANGE:

E Elevation: asymmetrical; 7-bay; relieving arch from former openings; small window to centre bay; flanked to right by bowed bay, 3 windows to ground floor, 2 oval blind recesses above, crenellated parapet; box dormer to attic to left; 2 bipartite windows to flanking bays to right, 2 box dormers to attic floor above. 3-bay "house" to outer left, modern gabled porch to centre, flanked to left and right by bipartite windows, 2-pane skylight to centre of attic flanked to left and right by window breaking eaves in crowstepped gable.

N Elevation: symmetrical; single gabled bay; timber door with glazed panes to centre of ground floor.

W Elevation: asymmetrical; 7-bay; glazed boarded timber door to centre bay of ground floor, irregular fenestration to remainder of ground floor; box dormers to bays to left of attic floor; window breaking eaves to penultimate bay to right of attic floor with tooled lintel reading "17 CEA 57", window breaking eaves to bay to outer right with crowstepped gable.

S Elevation: asymmetrical; single bay; crowstepped gable; window off-centre to left of ground floor; window off-centre to right of attic floor.

Predominantly replacement timber windows with top hoppers. Graded grey slate roof with lead and tiled ridge. Coped granite gablehead and ridge stacks with circular and octagonal cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Interior: not seen 1999.

N (CARTSHED AND GRANARY) RANGE:

S Elevation: asymmetrical; 7-bay; 4 segmentally-arched openings to right of ground floor, with 2-leaf boarded timber doors, flanked to left by boarded timber door and 2 windows; 6 near-regularly placed small openings to attic floor.

E Elevation: near-symmetrical; single bay; infilled segmental-arched opening to centre of ground floor; boarded timber opening above; small opening off-centre to left of gablehead.

N Elevation: asymmetrical; 4-bay; square-plan engaged tower to penultimate bay to left, boarded timber door to centre of ground floor; small rectangular openings to 3 upper floors and left and right returns; crenellated parapet with birdcage bellcote and bell to N, pyramidal slate spire; single opening to S. 2 boarded-up openings to bays to right of ground floor; near-regularly placed small openings to attic floor.

W Elevation: asymmetrical; single gabled bay; bricked up window off-centre of left of attic floor.

No glazing to windows. Graded grey slate roof, falling in to W, with tiled ridge. Stone skews with simple skewputts. Coped granite gablehead stacks with circular cans.

Interior: not seen 1999.

S RANGE:

N Elevation: asymmetrical; 5-bay; infilled square opening to centre bay of ground floor, irregular fenestration to bays to right; 2-leaf boarded sliding timber door to penultimate bay to left with piended gable; boarded timber door to outer left; 2-pane skylights to attic floor.

W Elevation: blank.

S Elevation: asymmetrical; 8-bay; modern wide opening with iron lintel to centre, flanked to right by 2 infilled openings; boarded timber stable door to bay to outer right; glazed and boarded sliding timber door to 4th bay from left, flanked to left by 2 windows, boarded timber door to outer left. 2-pane skylights to attic floor; ventilator to centre of ridge.

E Elevation: blank.

Predominantly replacement timber framed windows. Piended grey slate roof with tiled ridge. Coped granite ridge stack. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Interior: not seen 1999.

ANCILLARY STRUCTURE: rectangular-plan ancillary structure to W; squared and snecked granite. Irregularly placed timber-framed windows and doors. Piended grey slate roof with lead-ridge. Interior: not seen 1999.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: 2 square-plan granite gatepiers to W, with ogee caps and spherical finials, flanked to E by smaller gatepiers and looped iron pedestrian gate. Rough-faced coursed granite boundary walls with rough-faced coping.

Statement of Interest

A-Group with Aboyne Castle, Home Farm, South Lodge, West Lodge, Walled Garden, Allach Bridge and Ice House. It would appear that the general poor quality of soil in Deeside restricted farmers, however "the Early of Aboyne's personal farm is in very high cultivation. It consists of nearly 400 stone fences, lined with hedge-rows and alternatively producing white and green crops; and it proves what can be done, even of Dee-side, by the proper application of soil, manure and good ploughing" (OSA p301). He built up the estate, and taught the locals how to improve their own farms. Although the estate is now much reduced, Mains of Aboyne and the Home Farm (see separate listing) survive as high quality reminders of what was one of the most advanced farms in the area. The birdcage bellcote, which MacGibbon and Ross describe as "a typical example of such structures in Aberdeenshire" (MacGibbon and Ross, p375) in fact belonged to the old Parish Church of Aboyne (1762), and was moved to Mains of Aboyne when the church was replaced by the present church (see separate listing) in 1862.

External Links

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