Building record MAB7947 - CANDACRAIG HOUSE

Mansion, still in residential use.

Mansion, still in residential use. The current house was rebuilt in 1956 by A. G. R. Mackenzie following a fire in 1955, but retaining fabric from the mansion built in 1835 as a Jacobean House by John Smith, Aberdeen that incorporated an earlier house - there has been a house at this site since 1579. The west wing was added by George Gordon of inverness in 1900, and was also partially remodelled in 1956. It is a well-detailed, two- and three-storey, L-plan Jacobean house sited at the north of the estate boundary and overlooking policies to the River Don at the south. The frontage of the building is harled with stone margins, some chamfered, and the rear constructed from coursed squared rubble with ashlar dressings. It has a base course, conical-roofed round towers, decorative stone windowheads and vaulted cellars and stone transoms and mullions. Largely multi-pane glazing patterns are used in timber sash and case windows. The graded grey slate roof has coped ashlar stacks, ashlar-coped skews with block skewputts, cast-iron downpipes with decorative rainwater hoppers and decorative ironwork weathervanes. Some fine early interior detail is retained, including moulded cornices, classical detail to the dining room including broken pediment doorpieces and cornices, a panelled sitting room with fine strapwork ceiling and Tudor-arched stone fireplace with a two-tier carved frieze. There is early linenfold panelling and door with relief carved detail (possibly imported) in the earlier east wing and an oak studded door to a first floor room that came from Corgarff Castle (NJ20NE0001) in 1923. Immediately to the west of the house is a former coach house and offices (NJ31SW0179), with a gateway beyond (NJ31SW0177). To the east is a tempietta (NJ31SW0181), walled garden (NJ31SW0180), a pair of gateways (NJ31SW0184) and a dovecot (NJ31SW0004). A lodge (NJ31SW0183) and gateway (NJ31SW0182) cover the entrance to the north-east. See NJ31SW0099 for designed landscape.

Period Notes
Listed 16/04/1971. There has been a house at this site since 1579. The current house was built in 1835 incorporating an earlier house, but was reconstructed in 1956 following a fire in 1955. The west wing of the house was added in 1900.

Jan 30 1995 , AAS/95/01/G1/10-2, AAS/95/01/G1/10-2 (Air-oblique Photograph). SAB15669.

Author unknown, n.d., NSA, 546 (Bibliographic reference). SAB1269.

Record last edited

Apr 15 2024 1:40PM