Description

George Coutts, dated 1905. 2-storey and attic, 3-bay villa with gothic detailing. Tooled coursed grey granite ashlar finely finished to margins of S elevation; coursed dark grey granite rubble to remainder. Rough-faced base course; chamfered cills; dividing string course; swept-down overhanging eaves with timber bargeboards.

S (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: asymmetrical; pointed-arched doorway with chamfered reveals near-centre of ground floor, 2-leaf gothic panelled timber door, with iron bell-pull, 2 plaques above; mullion and transomed window flanking to right, tripartite window to right of 1st floor set in tall gable; broad 5-light canted bay advanced to left through ground and 1st floors breaking eaves with elegantly swept-down roof, gableted timber lucarne to centre of advanced slate roof, iron weathervane finial to apex.

E ELEVATION: gabled; asymmetrical; piend-roofed ingleneuk to left at ground floor, single window above, tall stair window flanking to right; wing adjoining to outer right.

N ELEVATION: not seen 2000.

W ELEVATION: gabled.

Predominantly timber casement windows with small-pane glazing band at top, and 2-pane below. Grey slate roof with lead ridge. Corniced gablehead stacks with circular cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: dining room with Tudor-style chimneypiece in ingleneuk; good door furniture (interior seen before 1991).

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: square-plan gatepiers to S, canted at necks and surmounted by shallow splayed circular-plan caps; low Aberdeen bond granite wall between; brick coped rubble walls to remainder, modern garage adjoining boundary wall to SE.

Statement of Interest

From the beginning of the 19th century Aberdeen rapidly expanded westwards from Union Street. 68 Rubislaw Den North is part of the late 19th/early 20th century development W of Queen's Cross. Rubislaw Den North runs almost parallel to Queen's Road (on the site of Skene Road) which was originally surrounded by the estate of Rubislaw. In 1877 Rubislaw Estate was bought by the City of Aberdeen Land Association, who re-aligned Skene Road and sold off the estate in smaller plots. Streets became wider and villas with substantial gardens often replaced terraces. Prestigious architects, such as George Coutts, were often employed to produce bold and unusual designs to reflect the wealth and individuality of the clients. 68 Rubislaw Den North was built for Miss Webster. Particularly noteworthy are the elegantly swept down eaves and tiny lucarne to the principal elevation (which is similar to those used by J B Pirie at Queen's Cross Church, see separate listing).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17780293

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  The Victorian House Manual (2nd Edition): How They Were Built, Improvements & Refurbishment, Solutions to All Common Defects - Includes Relevant ... ... Properties (Haynes Manual) (Haynes Manuals)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  For the Record
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings