Description

Circa 1830. 3-storey, 5-bay ground floor with 4-bay above, former hotel (converted to public house with flatted dwellings at 1st and 2nd floors) in irregular terrace, with arcaded channelled ashlar ground floor. Whitewashed ashlar with some painted margins to E. Bracketed ground floor cornice, band and eaves courses. Voussoired round-arched openings to ground.

W (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: ground floor with panelled timber door and 2-part semicircular fanlight in bay to left of centre with window to outer left, 2 closely-aligned slightly smaller windows to centre and right bays, and further panelled timber door with 3-part semicircular fanlight to outer right, all under plain fascia. 1st and 2nd floors each with 4 windows.

E (REAR) ELEVATION: asymmetrically-fenestrated elevation incorporating altered ground floor and 2 small bipartite windows at 1st floor.

4-pane glazing pattern in timber sash and case windows. Grey slates. Broad, coped ashlar stacks with full-complement of clay cans. Ashlar-coped skews.

INTERIOR: ground floor bar with decorative plasterwork cornicing.

Statement of Interest

This building, the former Alexandra Hotel, does not appear on Wood's 1823 Plan of Stonehaven, but extensive building in the area is indicated on the Ordnance Survey Map of 1867. It is a well-detailed classically inspired commercial tenement. In 1759 Robert Barclay of Ury purchased the estate of Arduthie for £1500 with the intention of developing a 'planned town' separated geographically from the Old Town and harbour by the Carron Water, and bordered to the north by the Water of Cowie. Building of the New Town, designed on an irregular grid-iron plan by his son Robert, commenced in 1797 with streets named after family members. The Market House (later Buildings) is sited in Barclay Square (later Market Square) with the principal streets, Allardice, Barclay and Ann running N-S and Cameron, Evan and Mary Streets running E-W; further minor links extend to both N and W. Feu purchasers were awarded privileges which included 'the right to quarry stones from the Brachans, the ridge of rocks projecting into the bay, peat from the moss and clay from the Milldens of Cowie' (Christie, p15). The first house, built on the north bank to the Carron and now demolished, was soon followed by those facing the Square and main streets.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17779427

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.

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