Cairness House

NK06SW 23.01 04075 61039 East Lodge

NK06SW 23.02 03839 61251 Home Farm

NK06SW 23.03 03066 62073 North Lodge

NK06SW 23.04 03889 60550 Walled Garden and Sundial

NK06SW 23.05 03684 60073 South Lodge

For cropmarks around NK 0371 6073 (within policies), see NK06SW 69.

Visible on air photographs AAS/93/10/G22/9-10. Copies held by Grampian Regional Council.

Information from Mrs M Greig (Grampian Regional Council), March 1994.

Cairness House was recorded as part of the threatened buildings survey on 30 August 2000. The National Trust for Scotland and the North East Preservation Trust requested that the record be made. James Playfair designed Cairness House, arguably the finest Neo-classical house in Scotland, in 1791-7. Although it has previously been recorded by the RCAHMS in 1963 it was decided a further record was required following its recent extensive restoration. Mr and Mrs Miller have painstakingly restored the interior recreating the original colour schemes of the principal rooms using the surviving drawings at Aberdeen University. Unfortunatly the future of the house and its contents is once again at risk. RCAHMS STG 2000

ARCHITECT: James Playfair 1791-97

Mansion house: a late 18th century neo-classical house of the Boulle Ledoux school. Built for Charles Gordon, with money from his Jamaican plantations, of outstanding merit inside and out. Main block two-storey and basement five-window centre with three-storey advanced wings; tetra-style pedimented Roman-doric porch with steps and broken column pedestals; cast-iron columnar chimneys. Great two-storey hemicycle of offices to rear with gables having proto-Doriccolumns set in blind lunettes showing to main front; remarkable pend arch in semi-circle of voussoirs diminishing in depth to crown, cupola over, circular ice-house in court: very finely detailed throughout. Egyptian billiard room behind entrance hall. For sale and in desperate need of repair (1990). Sold in early 1990's and slowly being restored to original designs.

NMRS, MS/2059.

EXTERNAL REFERENCE

Scottish Record Office (now the National Archives of Scotland)

House to be built for Mr Gordon.

James Playfair sets out his business terms.

Letter

1790 GD 151/11/32

PLANS

EXTERNAL REFERENCES:

King's College Library, Aberdeen James Playfair - portfolio of 44 drawings

Soane Museum, London James Playfair - 11 drawings

R.I.B.A. Drawings Collection James Playfair 1793 - sketch for a lodge and gate

National Library - The Connoisseur, American Es. June 1955 p.242 - article on Egyptian taste.

Simpson and Brown Photographs

Box 2 album no.17

one photograph of stable court.