Archaeology Notes

Event ID 873814

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Archaeology Notes

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/873814

For related sites see:

NJ54NE 7.00 NJ 55360 48459 Rothiemay Castle

NJ54NE 7.01 NJ 54807 48314 West Lodge

NJ54NE 7.02 NJ 55035 48276 Dovecot

NJ54NE 7.03 NJ 55122 48430 Kilnbarn

NJ54NE 7.04 NJ 55514 48168 Queen Mary's Bridge

NJ54NE 7.05 NJ 55099 48500 Mains of Rothiemay

NJ54NE 7.06 NJ 55514 48250 Kirktown of Rothiemay

NJ54NE 7.08 NJ 55444 48501 Manse

NJ54NE 7.09 NJ 55480 48432 St Peter's Well

The ruin of a washhouse is situated in the NE corner of Rothiemay Castle policies, butting the S wall of the causeway which defines the N and E boundaries of the castle grounds. The washhouse and causeway were built at the same time, between 1750 and 1752 (Duff House Papers, Special Libraries and Archives, University of Aberdeen, MS 3175/648). Water for the washhouse was provided through a stone channel built into the causeway and fed from an unknown source, above – probably a well in the adjacent field. The water supply to Rothiemay House/Castle was taken from a well approximately 800m to the N, but this may have been a later installation.

The washhouse building is still shown as roofed on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map (Banffshire, xv and xvii, surveyed 1867, published 1871). The adjacent manse building (NJ54NE 08) became the laundry in the 19th century.

For further details regarding this and neighbouring sites lying within the policies of Rothiemay Castle, see the Kirkton of Rothiemay Survey Report, linked to this record.

Information from William Reid, May 2011.