South entrance, detail

Description South entrance, detail

Date 12/5/1997

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

Catalogue Number D 12196 CN

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copies SC 778720

Scope and Content Main entrance, Stables, Mar Lodge, Aberdeenshire This shows the main arched entrance to the stables which were probably built at the same time as the lodge. The clock in the gable was used to keep correct time on the estate for the servants before time became standardised with the development of the railways in the late 19th century. The bell-tower is topped by a weathervane which points to the direction that the wind is blowing from and the roof lights are modern additions which allow more light into the attic floor. The ground floor of the stables would have contained a carriage house, offices and stalls where the horses used to pull carriages would be fed, watered and rested. The attic floor would have contained a hayloft and other store rooms as well as accommodation for the groom and stable hands. The stable block was an important building on an estate, reflecting the importance and value of the horses. William Duff of Dipple who became the 1st Earl of Fife in 1759 built the original Mar Lodge (or Dalmore House) in 1750. The 6th Earl was created the 1st Duke of Fife when he married Princess Louise, who was a daughter of King Edward VII. When Mar Lodge was destroyed by fire in 1895, Alexander Marshall Mackenzie (1848-1933) designed a new lodge and Queen Victoria laid the foundation stone later in the same year. The duke and duchess used the house mainly as a sporting lodge and an autumn home. The building had another serious fire in 1991 but was subsequently restored. The 29,380-hectare estate had several owners from 1959 until 1995 when The National Trust for Scotland bought it, with the help of a £10 million lottery grant. The lodge has been divided into five self-catering holiday apartments which can be rented by the public. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/469950