Building record MAB6129 - ABERLOUR HOUSE

Former mansion house, designed by William Robertson in 1838 for Alexander Grant, now in use as a school.

Former mansion house, designed by William Robertson in 1838 for Alexander Grant, now in use as a school. Subsequent owners made alterations, with extensive additions by A. and W. Reid, Robertson's nephews, in 1854-68, and further alterations by Dick Peddie and Kinnear in 1885-7, and by Sir Robert Lorimer in 1890-3. It is a north facing classical 2-storey mansion, with single-storey and attic ranges extending to the rear, constructed of polished and tooled ashlar throughout. The original 5-bay house has shallow advanced outer bays, with a 2-tier pedimented tetrastyle portico, and a lower tier projecting as a porte cochere and supported by fluted Greek Doric columns. The porte cochere was added by A and W Reid in 1857. The house is flanked to the east and west by pedimented basket headed arches leading to the stable court built in 1838-9. Paired pilasters clasp the north and south facets under paired Empire garlands, and anthemion and acroteria decorate the pediment. The arches are linked to the house by low, coped, tooled ashlar quadrant walls. There is a 2-storey, 3-bay drawing room wing that extends at the east, continuous with the frontage. A rectangular bay window from 1854 lights the library, formally the dining room, at the west. A similar window lights the drawing room at the east, re-used from the former drawing room. There are some corniced and lugged architraves to the aproned ground floor windows. A set back 2-bay wing survives at the west, with the outer window framed by paired pilasters and paired engaged columns supporting an entablature and corniced wallhead. There was extensive infilling of the original rear court, between 1856 and 1868. The east return elevation has dormers, windows and a hooded canopied entrance, dated to 1886. Multi-pane glazing is used, and there is a corniced wallhead, corniced stacks and shallow piended and gabled slate roofs. The mansion is fronted by a balustrade, built in 1885, and flights of steps descending to lower lawn, now the playing field. The entrance hall, formerly with doorways to the drawing room, to the left, and dining room, to the right, opens through a columned screen to the stair hall, rising two storeys. It is an imperial staircase, with mid-19th century cast-and wrought-iron balusters, linked to fluted Ionic cast-iron newels. There is a coffered ceiling, with gilded detailing and gilded floreated and foliated bosses, and a chequered marble floor from 1892-3. The library, formally the dining room, was re-modelled as a library by Sir Robert Lorimer in 1892-3, including bookcases, some with glazed fronts. There is also a marble chimneypiece with decorative medallions, a coffered ceiling and decorative frieze. The 1837 former drawing room, now the children's common room, has a carved red marble chimneypiece. The headmaster's study, 1892-3, has a chimneypiece with marble slips. The stables are to the rear, as well as a walled garden with a loggia (NJ24SE0094). It is possibly the site of an earlier manor. It was damaged by fire in 1875. Features within the designed landscape include a monument in the form of a 18.28-19.8 m (60-65 ft) high ashlar granite column. While the house was built for Alexander Grant, it is doubtful he ever lived in the house, which he left to his niece, Miss Margaret Gordon MacPherson, at his death in 1854. She added Grant to her own name and made extensive additions to house and policies, dying in 1877 aged 43. It was purchased in 1885 by Sir John Ritchie Findlay, owner of The Scotsman newspaper, who made further alterations and additions, including drawing room decorated by Sir Robert Lorimer. The house is now a preparatory school for Gordonstoun (NJ16NE0006). There is an East Lodge, also designed by William Robertson at around the same time, which is now derelict (NJ24SE0070), and a West Lodge by A. and W. Reid from 1856 (NJ24SE0074). Fisherton (NJ24SE0088), constructed in 1839 to a design by William Robertson, was also a part of the lands for Aberlour House.

Period Notes
Present house built in 1838-9 with additions and alterations in 1854-68, 1885-7 and 1890-3. There was a fire in 1875, and the drawing room wing was added in 1890. It was designated on 22/02/1972, and its status changed from a B listing to an A listing on 09/11/1987.

COLVIN, H, 1978, BIOG DICT OF BRIT ARCHITECTS, 699 (Bibliographic reference). SAB270.

MCKEAN, C, 1987, MORAY: AN ILLUSTRATED ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE, p.160 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1142.

BOGDAN, NQ, 1991, Castles, Manors & Town House survey, p.35 (Bibliographic reference). SAB2251.

Author unknown, n.d., ABERDEEN DAILY JOURNAL, 28/11/1838 (Bibliographic reference). SAB23.

SDD, n.d., BLDS OF ARCH & HIST INTEREST, ABERLOUR No5 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1827.

Author unknown, n.d., ELGIN COURANT, 31/10/1838 (Bibliographic reference). SAB444.

Author unknown, n.d., ELGIN COURIER, 04/08/1854 (Bibliographic reference). SAB452.

Author unknown, n.d., ELGIN COURIER, 28/07/1854 (Bibliographic reference). SAB452.

Record last edited

Apr 25 2023 2:28PM