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Aboyne Castle from the South-East
Like many houses, Aboyne has been substantially reduced, rather than completely demolished, to make a practical home from its historic core. Most of what is visible here has been lost.
Image credit: Vintage postcard, collection of the author.
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Aboyne Castle - South front
Originally a 17th century (or earlier) house, various large additions during the 19th century resulted in the somewhat uncomfortable South façade seen here. The last alterations, the historically-inspired upper portions of the central tower and right-hand wing by George Truefitt, were presumably intended to make this rambling mansion appear more like a castle once more. Truefitt himself called his works "restoration", but as the portions he altered were not of great antiquity, today we might call his work "fanciful recreation".
After becoming ruinous, the central and right-hand portions were swept away in 1975 along with the tower front-left, to leave a building more like its original size.
Image credit: Vintage postcard, collection of the author.
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Alloa House
Alloa House was originally a simple classical house of five bays by George Angus built between 1834 and 1838. In 1867, John Melvin commenced extensive alterations. The original portion is visible in the centre, but has gained an elaborate parapet, a balcony and verandah. The large canted bay replaces a Ionic porch (distyle in antis), with a new entrance created on the East, in one of the two new flanking wings. These also hide the single-storey service courtyard, now only just visible to the rear.
The site of the house is in the centre of a large estate, with the later entrance now marked by a convenience store on Burleigh Way. Remarkably, the walled garden and stable court have been retained amid the council houses, and the original tower house is owned by the National Trust for Scotland.
Image credit: Vintage postcard, collection of the author.
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Ardeer House
Millar suggests this is late 18th century, and the NMRS gives 1967 as the date of demolition. The quality of Thomas Annan's photographs mean that in many cases we can imagine ourselves present. Who sits on the bench on this sleepy summer day? What do the wheel tracks curving left over the lawn signify?
Image credit: The Castles and Mansions of Ayrshire, Alexander Hastie Millar, 1885. Courtesy of East Ayrshire Archives.
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Armadale Castle
A plain house of 1800 (just visible far right) was given new entertaining rooms by James Gillespie Graham (the left-most part). Inside, a grand stair led to a stained glass window, under elegant fan vaulting. A fire to part of the original house led to a later wing by David Bryce in relatively plain style (the middle portion).
The RCAHMS hold good internal pictures of the Gillespie Graham wing from 1965 (here). Close inspection shows signs of persistent water penetration, with plaster cracking and falling on the floor. By this stage, the house hadn't been lived in by the Macdonalds for forty years. In 1972 it was bought by the Clan Donald Lands Trust, and in 1981 Gillespie Graham's derelict West wing was largely demolished, while Bryce's wing was reduced to a shell to allow for possible future reinstatement.
Image credit: Vintage postcard, collection of the author.
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Aros House
Aros House was initially designed by William Burn in 1825, although never completed to the original plans. After a change in ownership of the estate in 1874, the tower was added and other alterations were probably made by JM Wardrop. Financial considerations forced the sale of the estate in 1959. The buyer of the house stripped its fittings and abandoned it. The estate had been bought by the Forestry Commission, who demolished the derelict house in 1962 and used its stone to make a carpark. The estate is well worth exploring, including the lake, waterfall, and other original buildings.
Image credit: Vintage postcard, collection of the author.
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Auchans New House
Built in plain Italianate style circa 1819 to replace the Old House (next image), Millar is more tactful, simply noting that "No space is lost by the display of architectural eccentricities; and the principal decoration of the main front wall consists of the ivy and other trained shrubs, which are rapidly covering the stonework with their leafy shade". Bought by a builder 1960, demolished 1970.
Image credit: The Castles and Mansions of Ayrshire, Alexander Hastie Millar, 1885. Courtesy of East Ayrshire Archives.
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Auchans Old House
Billings' engravings often make the buildings look in better condition than contemporary records suggest, and although a valuable source for 19th century architects, proportions and details were sometimes inaccurate.
Image credit: The Ecclesiastical and Baronial Antiquities of Scotland, Robert William Billings, 1845-52.