Standing Building Recording

Date July 2006

Event ID 546708

Category Recording

Type Standing Building Recording

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/546708

NJ 5041 6035 The site of Castle of Skeith (Skuth) (NJ56SW5) is shown on the 1871 OS map directly to the W of the farm steading of Mains of Skeith. The earliest cartographic reference to the castle appears to be a tower house named Skyith on Pont's map of 1580-90. This pre-dates a date stone of 1687 which has been incorporated into the present farmhouse. The Statistical Account of 1791-9 records that the castle was in ruins by the 1790s. A standing building survey was conducted in July 2006 prior to demolition and replacement of the farm steading. Later a watching brief in September 2006 observed the excavation of new foundations in the area nearest to the site of the former castle.

The survey revealed considerable detail of one of the buildings, a water-driven threshing mill possibly of mid 19th-century date with a barn above and later stables added at one end. A cottage, later used as a bothy, may have been contemporary. Before the 1st Edition OS map of 1871 the steading had been enlarged to form a quadrangle. The 19th-century buildings had clearly reused stone from the castle ruins, as a number of dressed sandstone blocks were identified, including a moulding from a spiral stair and one from a window.

Reports lodged with Aberdeenshire SMR and NMRS.

Sponsor: G Stewart and Co.

H K Murray and J C Murray 2006