Pittensair

Two storey, three bay house built by James Ogilvie, a master mason, c. 1735. Later additions to east and south. Proch on north front now removed.

NJ26SE 106.00 centred 28226 60686

NJ26SE 106.01 NJ 2840 6085 Pittensair Cottage (in Urquhart parish)

N facing 2-storey, 3-bay house. Harled rubble, ashlar dressings. Later additions at E gable and S elevation. Centre door in N front masked by later gabled wooden porch. Moulded surround to doorway; also to all front windows, which have been widened in ground and 1st floor outer bays. Oval oculus in W gable to light loft with 'James Olgilvie' carved above and 'Marjory Steuart' below. Moulded corniced copes to end stacks, with narrow pulvinated stringcourse below cornice and small ledge at inner face, with moulded underside. Shaped skewputts, that at NW dated; flat skews continuously moulded on underside and splayed at base to follow line of bellcast roof; graded Banffshire slate roof with stone ridge. Later single storey rubble extension at rear, masking rear centre entrance; single storey, 3-bay cottage (now gutted) at E gable; moulded architraves to centre door. End stacks and corrugated iron roofs to both.

James Ogilvie was a master mason and it can be assumed that he was architect-builder of his own dwelling in which, in minature, he includes details from the greater mansions on which he worked. The moulding on the underside of the staircase is similar to that at Gordonstoun House, re-modelled 1730, on which he may well have worked.

James Ogilvie was 'Architect and Undertaker' for Speymouth church, he and the minister having 'contrived' the plan between them in 1732-3. Unusual detailing to end stacks, the ledges probably assisting the cleaning of the chimneys besides throwing rainwater away from the ridge. (Historic Scotland).

OS Name Book 1868-1871 notes for Pittensier "This name is applied to a farm Steading, the dwelling house is two Stories high Slated and in good repair the offices are thatched and in bad repair Right Hon. [Honourable] the Earl of Fife Proprietor"

Partially pantiled roofed steading of clay and bool construction, with loft, adjacent to the Category A Listed Pittensair and with an attractive cobbled pend.

OS Name Book 1868-1871 notes for Pittensier "This name is applied to a farm Steading, the dwelling house is two Stories high Slated and in good repair the offices are thatched and in bad repair Right Hon. [Honourable] the Earl of Fife Proprietor"