View from north east Digital image of E 15394 cn

Description View from north east Digital image of E 15394 cn

Date 24/7/2001

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number SC 769287

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of E 15394 CN

Scope and Content Craig Gowan House, Balmoral Estate, Aberdeenshire, from the north-east This substantial two-storeyed house, built using the same local granite as the castle, stands in a woodland setting within sight of Craig Gowan, the hill after which it was named. It has prominent gables, topped by stone finials, on either side of the main entrance, and bay windows on both the ground and upper floors to denote the principal rooms. It has several typically Scottish architectural features, including dormer windows and crowstepped gables, and the entrance porch is decorated with an elegant Victorian iron cresting. The front door, set in a pointed-arch opening, is painted in 'Balmoral beige', a colour chosen by Prince Albert. Craig Gowan was designed as a shooting lodge to provide secondary accommodation for the royal family. It was used for short visits and at times of the year other than the six weeks set aside each autumn for the royal family's annual holiday at Balmoral. During these autumn holidays, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were looked after in the castle by a staff of over 60 servants. At other times of the year, and for short visits to Deeside, when the castle did not have to be opened up, the royal family could 'live with the greatest simplicity and ease' at Craig Gowan with fewer servants and 'without any state whatever'. The Balmoral estate was bought in 1852 by Prince Albert and Queen Victoria at their own expense as a Highland retreat from the stresses of London life. Prince Albert initiated many improvements, including the building of a new holiday home, Balmoral Castle, in 1853-5, and put forward plans for a model estate with new houses and offices for estate workers and tenants. Craig Gowan House, a lodge probably designed by William Smith, the architect who designed the castle, was built c.1855 as a 'second' home for the royal family. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/769287

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap