Building record MAB39584 - MAINS OF BALNAKETTLE

The farmstead of Mains of Balnakettle is depicted on an early estate map as an almost rectangular steading with a central open court but with a gap in the southwest corner.

The farmstead of Mains of Balnakettle is depicted on an early estate map as an almost rectangular steading with a central open court but with a gap in the southwest corner. An extension extends north then curves west from the northeast corner. To the west is an L-shaped range with another long range to its north, all forming an almost U-shaped steading with open court to the west. The house lies to the east and a mill pond to the northeast of the farm. By the 1867 OS map edition the same layout is retained but the western part of the steading has now become a U-plan steading with the northern building now joined to the L-plan range. By the 1888 map edition this court has been built over forming a solid range with a possible horse-mill on the north facing exterior. The curved range to the main steading block has gone and again the courts have been infilled with buildings. The house is still evident but there are now two other smaller buildings, one to the north of the farm and the other to the south. A second smaller mill pond lies further to the north The farm retains a similar shape today although the possible horse-mill has now gone. A level 1 standing buildings survey was carried out by MAS Ltd in 2008 on the bothy, mill and steading. The bothy is built of red sandstone rubble with roughly dresses sandstone rybats at doors and corners with smoothly dressed margins, and dates from the late 19th/early 20th century. A date stone of 1797 was built into the front wall of the bothy, re-used from an earlier building suggesting that there were buildings on the site in the late 18th century. The steading is a mixture of sandstone and field rubble construction, and consists now of four bays at right angles to the access road. It shows two or three phases of construction, with the earliest being 19th century. The mill has now been incorporated into the steading but was originally a separate building. The walls were of semi-dressed red sandstone blocks in clear wide horizontal courses with small filling stones in both horizontal and vertical sets between blocks. The wall construction is different from all the other walls in the steading and bothy and it may be suggested that the mill was earlier than any of the surviving elements of the steading. Skews are used at the gables of the mill, not seen elsewhere in the steading and again may indicate an earlier date. The mill may be of late 18th century date. The gamekeeper's steading appears to include elements of the south steading shown in the 1850 Estate map. The original surviving features are two parallel buildings built of field rubble with sandstone used as detailing at doors and windows. Of particular note are three cart openings at the south end which appear to be the original openings with semi-shaped sandstone at the sides and long sandstone lintels.

Period Notes
Mill may date to Late 18th C, remaining buildings are 19th-20th C

MURRAY, H.K., 2008, Mains of Balnakettle, Fettercairn: SBS, Report (Bibliographic reference). SAB4602.

Buildings Survey

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2009, DISCOVERY & EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, VOL 9, 2008, p.20 (Bibliographic reference). SAB3496.

Apr 24 2008 , KM/APP/2007/4952-3, KM/APP/2007/4952-3 (Ground Photograph). SAB19332.

Nov 1 2007 , L3348-001-264, L3348-001-264 (Ground Photograph). SAB19202.

Record last edited

Aug 26 2024 11:47AM