Meldrum House
Country House (17th Century), Hotel (20th Century)
Site Name Meldrum House
Classification Country House (17th Century), Hotel (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Meldrum House Hotel
Canmore ID 19638
Site Number NJ82NW 13
NGR NJ 81301 29051
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/19638
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Meldrum
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Gordon
- Former County Aberdeenshire
Meldrum House, from 1625, 17th and 18th century. Baronialised mansion with much earlier nucleus, hinted at in vaulted ground floor and history of 'weel-connectit' families involved (Meldrums, 1236 - mid-15th century; Setons to 1670, then son of Urquhart of Cromarty). Symmetry of Archibald Simpson's recasting, 1836-9, a neo-Jacobean three-storey block with two-storey advance pavilions and centre porch to south-west, was lost in W L Duncan's alterations of 1934-7 in which the top storey was removed, the south-east pavilions and porch demolished and a new entrance constructed at the northwest. Now dominated by grandiose (?)17th century external stair to first floor, with balustrades, Simpson's slender angle-towers and the pair of Dutch gables on the opposite façade. There is a tradition that the stair came from
Castle Fraser where it had given access to the original, first-floor, entry. The upper floor was once occupied by a row of four posters for the unmarried sisters of the family.
Taken from "Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie - An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Ian Shepherd, 2006. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk
NJ82NW 13.00 81301 29051
NJ82NW 13.01 NJ 81217 29095 Stables; dovecot (Outer Gate)
NJ82NW 13.02 NJ 8113 2912 gasworks
NJ82NW 13.03 NJ 8092 2915 Home Farm and kennels
NJ82NW 13.04 NJ 8083 2869 West Lodge
NJ82NW 13.05 NJ 81127 28211 South Lodge
NJ82NW 13.06 NJ 81341 29048 Garden House
NJ82NW 13.07 NJ 81319 28995 Garden House
NJ82NW 13.08 NJ 81115 28200 Gateway
For enclosure and rig in Meldrum House policies, see NJ82NW 57 and NJ82NW 130 -3 respectively.
(NJ 8129 2903) Meldrum House (NAT) (Hotel) (AD 1625)
OS 6" map, (1959)
NMRS REFERENCE
Meldrum House is chiefly a modern mansion, but has an old staircase incorporated with the new buildings. It has been the seat of several ancient families - Urquharts, Seatons and Meldrums - from the 12th century downwards (MacGibbon and Ross 1887-92).
The original house, dated 1625, was altered and added to by Archibald Simpson c.1840 (HBD No. 3).
D MacGibbon and T Ross 1887-92.
Meldrum House Hotel shows no external features of the older building.
Visited by OS (NKB) 12 February 1969.
Meldrum House. Mansion house/hotel; 17th and 18th centuries, reconstructed in the 19th century as a symmetrical neo-Jacobean mansion of three storeys with two-storey advance pavillions and a centre porch to the SW. Reconstructed again in the 1930's when the top storey of the main block was removed and Simpson's balancing SE pavillion and porch were demolished, as well as the main staircase. A new NW entrance and neo-Georgian main staircase at entrance were built; very fine balustraded external stair to first floor, ground floor vaulted.
17th century garden-houses built into bank with wooden bridge to first floor; stable- and coach-house block dated 1628.
Architects: Archibald Simpson 1836; W L Duncan 1934. Datestone 1625; reconstructed 1836-7 and 1934-7.
[Newspaper reference cited].
NMRS, MS/712/80.
NMRS REFERENCE
Architect: Archibald Simpson, additions c. 1840.
Owner: Robin Duff.
Photographic Survey (March 1954)
Photographs of Meldrum House and buildings in Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire, by the National Buildings Record Scottish Council in March 1954.
Photographic Survey (September 1960)
Photographs of Meldrum House, Aberdeenshire, by the Scottish National Buildings Record in September 1960.
