East cottage, view from south west Digital image of E 15755 cn

Description East cottage, view from south west Digital image of E 15755 cn

Date 18/6/2001

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

Catalogue Number SC 769292

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of E 15755 CN

Scope and Content Bothy, Allt-na-giubhsaich, Glen Muick, Balmoral Estate, Aberdeenshire This late 18th- or early 19th-century single-storeyed cottage was built as a bothy, probably for seasonal staff such as beaters or ghillies who worked with the keeper on shoots. It is harled and painted, with a slated roof and sash windows vertically divided to give four similar panes. The massive porch, with its swept, slated roof and timber gable decorated with a 'lucky' horseshoe, is a Victorian addition. It is supported by four fir tree trunks with the stumps of branches left protruding to give a rustic effect, and painted, like the front door, in 'Balmoral beige', a colour chosen by Prince Albert. Queen Victoria's enjoyment of Highland remoteness was shown by her use of this cottage in Glen Muick and, in the late 1860s after Prince Albert's death, of Glasallt Shiel, another small lodge further up the glen and considerably more remote. The loneliness was, of course, comparative and applied only to the surroundings. Often her visits to Allt-na-giubhsaich were accompanied by over 20 people including other members of the royal household, a retinue of servants, keepers and ghillies, and the queen's personal policeman who stood on duty outside the door at night. 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. Many of the original buildings were remodelled and restored, including Allt-na-giubhsaich, an isolated keeper's house and bothy in Glen Muick which was made habitable as a 'get-away' house. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/769292

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap