Building record MAB41543 - CRATHES CASTLE

Farmsteading of Crathes Castle (NO79NW0005), dating from the early 19th century and depicted on historic OS maps, and described as offices on the 1838 Estate Plan.

Farmsteading of Crathes Castle (NO79NW0005), dating from the early 19th century and depicted on historic OS maps, and described as offices on the 1838 Estate Plan. The 1st edition shows the quadrangular arrangement of three ranges, one an L-plan, and the south range with an attached horsemill on the south side. To the west of the north range is another rectangular building and a kennels. The plan is unchanged on the 2nd edition map. The north and east wings have been converted to a cafe. Building recording in 2001 ahead of the conversion identified at least seven structural phases,. An 18th or early 19th century freestanding building aligned north-south at the southeast corner of the present courtyard was incorporated into development of the east range of offices, probably in the earlier 19th century. There was rebuilding on the same footprint in the mid 19th century with the extension to the original freestanding building consisting of a granary over cartsheds directly linked to the north range. The western half of the north range was demolished some time between 1923 and 1968. the original 18th-19th century building underwent two periods of major structural change in the 1950s and 1980s with its conversion to public toilets. Between 2001 and 2005 archaeological work including histgoric building survey of the north and east ranges was carried out ahead of renovation works. Excavation was undertaken February - August 2005 alongside the north and east ranges of the enclosed courtyard, and watching briefs and small scale excavation also took place in the central area and northwest part of the courtyard. Building survey of the redundant west range was carried out by AOC Archaeology in April 2017. The west range has always served as a cart shed and (later) as a stable block with cart entrances on the courtyard side.The building includes a former bothy/forge, a stable block and three former cart sheds, now converted to machine and general storage. One of the former cart entrances was blocked when the stables was created within the building. Some of the original stone cobbled floor survives.

AOC ARCHAEOLOGY, 2017, CRATHES FARMSTEADING, WEST RANGE (STABLES), CRATHES CASTLE: MEASURED SURVEY AND HISTORIC BUILDING RECORDING REPORT, SBS (Bibliographic reference). SAB6513.

ARCHAEOLOGY SCOTLAND, 2019, DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 19, 2018, p. 11 (Bibliographic reference). SAB6524.

Jul 6 2006 , AAS-GR-06-07-205 - 215, AAS-GR-06-07-205 - 215 (Ground Photograph). SAB35755.

Jul 30 2004 , AAS-GR-04-07-045 - 053, AAS-GR-04-07-045 - 053 (Ground Photograph). SAB35723.

Record last edited

Apr 18 2022 2:14PM