Portsoy, Durn House, Stables
Stable(S) (18th Century)
Site Name Portsoy, Durn House, Stables
Classification Stable(S) (18th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Durn House Policies
Canmore ID 173408
Site Number NJ56NE 48.01
NGR NJ 58836 65139
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/173408
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Fordyce
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Banff And Buchan
- Former County Banffshire
NJ56NE 48.01 58836 65139
Single storey and loft, wide 5-bay stable and carriage house range. Rubble, ashlar dressings. Slightly advanced and gabled centre bay with large garage entrance slapped in ground floor. Single round-headed keystoned loft door with blocked imposts in centre of gable flanked by loft vents and with apex corniced bellcote. Doorway set in segmental recess in centre of outer bay at left (N); similar segmental entrance to carriage house in outer bay at right (S) single loft window above. Forestair at S gable with rubble parapet and round-headed recessed 'goose bay' in base, leads to loft entrance in S gable; plank door with 18th century hand-made latch with heart-shaped bracket. Later single storey gig house at N gable and low range of additional stables at rear. Slate roof.
Fine quality stables. Hay was dropped from loft through semi-circular openings to feeding bays below. Interior of stables similar to those at Gordon Castle, 1769-82, John Baxter, architect. Goose bay below external forestair housed geese which acted as 'watch dogs'. Unusual survival. (Historic Scotland)
Photographic Survey (July 1962)
Photographic survey by the Scottish National Buildings Record in 1962.
Standing Building Recording (14 November 2022)
NJ 58836 65139 A Level 2 standing building survey was carried out. The building was the stables of Durn House and were built in the late 18th century. At least four phases of development were recorded . In Phase 1 the main stable building was built with cart doors on the WSW facade. Extensions were built on the NNW and ENE facades prior to the First Edition OS map, cart shed and stables respectively, and further extensions in the 20th century. There is a graffiti date under one window (1872/9) possibly representing the date of the alterations and stone extensions.
Information from A. Cameron – Cameron Archaeology.
OASIS ID: camerona1-438468
