Building record MAB8457 - AUCHLUNKART HOUSE

House, built in the early-18th Century, with late-18th Century additions and further additions and remodelling between circa 1825-1830, in the style of William Robertson of Elgin.

House, built in the early-18th Century, with late-18th Century additions and further additions and remodelling between circa 1825-1830, in the style of William Robertson of Elgin. Further additions and restoration work by Bruce and Sutherland, architects, Banff, was carried out in 1886, mostly involving internal decoration and service additions. There is documentary evidence of a manor having previously been in this area (MAB51520). The current house was the seat of the Steuarts of Auchlunkart and Forres, inherited from the Innes family through an heiress (presumably by marriage). It passed out of Steuart ownership in 1947.

It is a two-storey harled house, with tooled and polished ashlar dressings. There is an east-facing, seven-bay entrance front with narrow windows that have chamfered margins - this is the earliest portion of the house. There are late-18th Century, projecting, bowed outer bays, and a centre entrance that was remodelled between 1825-1830, with a centre door flanked by narrow lights and intermediate pilasters with incised keystoned detailing. It sits within a porte-cochere, which is supported by four Greek Doric columns standing on a continuous plinth.

There is a five-bay south front, with the centre three bays being slightly advanced and faced in tooled ashlar. There is a central niche in the first floor under a blocking course, with an urn-like, centre, ornamental, circular, corniced wall head stack. The elevation is fronted by an 1825-1830 conservatory comprising four front and two side, Greek Doric columns linked by a panelled base course and a deep entablature and infilled with multi-pane glazing. The shallow piended glazed roof of the conservatory terminates with a decorative palmette and anthemion cast-iron brattishing. There is mainly 12-pane glazing, and ridge and end stacks on the slate roofs. There is a walled service area to the north, with an entrance flanked by simple, square gate piers that are initialled 'FDS' and dated 1886.

Inside, the entrance hall is divided from the inner hall by a Greek Doric screen, infilled with later glazing. There is a stair hall, with an early-19th Century reconstructed cantilevered staircase with later-19th Century decorative cast-iron balusters. The drawing room contains various decorations and fittings, with a panelled dado, moulded door pieces, overdoors and panelled window shutters, all probably dating to 1825-1830. There is a decorative plaster ceiling cornice, with some additional late-19th Century moulded borders. A white marble chimneypiece is supported by a pair of caryatids. The dining room was redecorated in the late-19th Century, incorporating early-19th Century decorative features, such as moulded door pieces and overdoors and a panelled dado. There is also a late-19th Century chimneypiece. The conservatory has a simple chimneypiece, with a re-set 17th, or possibly early-18th, Century armorial, with the initials 'MAD' and 'IG'.

Record last edited

Oct 2 2026 7:07PM