Building record MAB31057 - THE RED HOUSE

Keeper's cottage, within a wider settlement area (NO08NW0032) probably built in the early 19th century.

Keeper's cottage, within a wider settlement area (NO08NW0032) probably built in the early 19th century. A three bayed building with a corrugated iron roof, which has been abandoned and gutted of furnishings. A cobbled stand for an outbuilding is attached to the west northwest (thought to have been a timber framed stables and deer larder in use until the early 1970s). There is also a turf-banked enclosure to the east northeast which was used for sheep grazing until the late 1950s. A building survey was carried out by Kirkdale in 1998. This revealed two main structural phases. The earlier is represented by four upright cruck-posts embedded in the rear (northwest) wall, the remnants of a cruck-framed building. Most of this building was demolished during the second phase of construction, the cruck frame being largely removed, the building widened to the front and reroofed. In 2000 a conservation plan was devised for the structure known as The Red House. The building has deteriorated over the last 30 years and at the time of the plan had a large hole in the south gable, and a bulging and collapsing north gable. The flooring at attic and ground level was gone and some of the roof timbers had been burnt through. Recent survey work has provided detail of at least two phases of construction, from a small cruck framed building to a larger corrugated iron roofed structure. Originally the building was constructed from mortared river boulders, later the east wall was rebuilt using dressed granite and the level of the roof was raised. A building survey identified the remains of a porch, and there is also evidence of a lean-to structure on the north gable. Dendrochronological samples were taken from elements of both phases of the building as part of the SCOT2K project from the cruck-posts from the first phase gave dates of 1799 and circa 1808. The different dates is suggested as resulting from the estate stockpiling timber for local use. Excavation and measured survey was carried out by NTS in May 2018 as part of a Thistle Camp scheme, ahead of proposed redevelopment of the building as part of a partnership project with the Mountain Bothy Association. The excavation uncovered remnants of an internal timber floor and stone footing of a front porch, along with well preserved remnants of a paved external area, all relating to the buildings final phase of occupation. Much of the floor boarding had been removed and burnt during the buildings more-recent use as an unofficial shelter, demonstrated by a large area of burning at the centre of the house, as well as a large amount of nails and door furniture deposited inside the building. A watching brief was carried out in 2019 by NTS during ground works for a new soakaway for external toilets. Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered during the work.

Period Notes
Dendrochronological dates from native pine cruck-posts (SCOT2K project): span of 1707-1808 - felling dates 1799 and circa 1808.

RCAHMS, 1995, MAR LODGE ESTATE SURVEY (Bibliographic reference). SAB1578.

RCAHMS, 1996, MAR LODGE, CONDITION SURVEY, p39 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1586.

CONDITION SURVEY

JAMIESON, F, 1998, MAR LODGE ESTATE VOLI, DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH, p.58 (Bibliographic reference). SAB924.

DUNN, A, 1999, DES : MAR LODGE ESTATE ; RED HOUSE, 8-9 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2452.

KIRKDALE ARCHAEOLOGY, 1999, THE RED HOUSE, MAR LODGE ESTATE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORDING VOLs 1 & 2, VOL 1 & 2 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1016.

KIDD, C, 2000, The Red House,Mar Lodge Estate.A Conservation Plan, CONSERVATION REPORT (Bibliographic reference). SAB1008.

CONSERVATION PLAN

MILLS, C.M., 2017, DENDROCHRONOLOGICALLY DATED PINE BUILDINGS FROM SCOTLAND. IN VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE, VOL. 48 (2017), 23-43 (Bibliographic reference). SAB7335.

NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND, 2018, RED HOUSE, MAR LODGE ESTATE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND EXCAVATION - PROJECT DESIGN AND WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB3001.

NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND, 2018, RED HOUSE, MAR LODGE ESTATE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND EXCAVATION 2018, Survey Excavation DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB3010.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2019, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 19, 2018, pp. 12-13 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6524.

NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND, 2019, STATEMENT OUTLINING ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONITORING DURING PROPOSED EXCAVATION OF SOAKAWAY AT RED HOUSE, MAR LODGE, WSI (Bibliographic reference). SAB3020.

NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND, 2019, THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND RED HOUSE: MAR LODGE ESTATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF, Watching Brief DSR (Bibliographic reference). SAB3028.

Record last edited

Apr 8 2026 12:36PM