Description

Glenfoyle Cottage was built in the mid-18th century with a small 19th century extension and a further extension dating to the 20th century to the south. It is a single-storey, three-bay cottage, with a central door and two flanking windows on its front elevation and with a modern L-plan, flat roofed section attached to the south. It is built of boulder rubble with chamfered margins, slated roof and includes stone, gable-end chimney stacks on the side elevations.

The L-plan flat roofed range to the south is slightly recessed and has a section adjacent to the cottage which is built of rubble and may include some older fabric and a later perpendicular section to the south built in brick.

There are two-pane timber windows on the front and rear elevations, two modern roof lights on the front pitch of the roof and a timber panelled and glazed front door. The pitched roof has replacement grey slates and stone ridge tiles and coping.

The interior of the cottage has been largely modernised with some historic stonework now exposed. It includes two front bedrooms and a bathroom at rear on the ground floor and a central timber staircase leading to an attic space. The cottage is internally connected to the L-plan flat roofed range containing the kitchen, dining and lounge areas.

Historical development

From around 1640s Oldmeldrum was a prominent market town as it was conveniently located at the crossroad of the main roads connecting Aberdeen to Banff and Newburgh to Huntly. The town was established as a Burgh of Barony in 1671 under Adam Urquhart.

The cottage is shown on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map (surveyed 1867, published 1868) along with a rectangular structure to the south and attached to it.

Historic mapping indicates the building was originally a single storey cottage attached to the rear of a larger building, forming an enclosed lane. In the late-19th century, a small extension, slightly stepped back from the front elevation, was added to the south. In the second half of the 20th century, probably the 1970s, there was a further extension to the south to form an L-plan wing. This most recent addition was flat roofed with the modern flat roofing now also covering the 19th century extension.

The building, accessed through a narrow pend opposite the Town Hall, forms part of the back houses of the 18th century core of Oldmeldrum old town which consists of a network of irregular lanes flanked by houses and cottages converging into the main Market Square.

Statement of Interest

Glenfoyle Cottage meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:

• The 3-bay cottage survives largely in its early form to the exterior retaining its footprint and historic fabric.
• Although a flat roofed extension has been built to the south, this is visually separate, and the overall historic character of the cottage is retained.
• This part of Oldmeldrum retains an 18th century historic core, characterised by narrow and irregular lanes which are typical Scottish towns from the late medieval period onwards.
• The layout is largely unaltered and includes Glenfoyle Cottage which contributes positively to the wider historic setting.
• The stone-built single storey, 3-bay cottage is a good surviving example of this traditional building type within the context of the old town centre.

Legal exclusions

There is an L-plan flat roofed range attached to the south of the cottage. This structure is slightly recessed and includes a section adjacent to the cottage built of rubble which may include some older fabric and a later perpendicular section south of this, built in brick, which was likely added around the 1970s. This extension does not contribute to the special interest of Glenfoyle Cottage.

In accordance with Section 1 (4A) of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 the following are legally excluded from the listing: L-plan flat roofed range to the south.

Statutory address and listed building record revised in 2025. Previously listed as COTTAGE (NOW STORE, SCORGIE) 7 MARKET SQUARE.

External Links

• Wikidata Q56644767

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

• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Somerset: North and Bristol: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)