Westhall
Country House (Period Unassigned), Tower House (Medieval)
Site Name Westhall
Classification Country House (Period Unassigned), Tower House (Medieval)
Alternative Name(s) Westhall House; Westhall Tower
Canmore ID 18082
Site Number NJ62NE 10
NGR NJ 67343 26652
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/18082
- Council Aberdeenshire
- Parish Oyne
- Former Region Grampian
- Former District Gordon
- Former County Aberdeenshire
Westhall, 16th century with 17th- and 19th-century additions. Estate the property of Bishops of Aberdeen; at Reformation to branch of the Gordons, then purchased by Revd James Horne, vicar of Elgin in 1681. Complex house, Z-plan with 17th-century round tower with conical roof at south-east angle. Tall crenellated parapet to the original, strong, south-west tower, is carried on chunky corbels. Squinch arch in re-entrant for stair-tower. A large, sprawling three-bay house was added at the east and rear in the 19th century.
Westhall has a small place in railway history, being the point where work began on the Great North of Scotland Railway in 1852. The estate owner, Sir James Elphinstone, had formerly been active in the Aberdeen Canal Company.
Taken from "Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie - An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Ian Shepherd, 2006. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk
NJ62NE 10.00 67343 26652
NJ62NE 10.01 6730 2673 Home Farm
NJ62NE 10.02 6715 2633 West Lodge
NJ62NE 10.03 68811 26525 East Lodge, boundary walls and gatepiers
NJ62NE 10.04 c. 673 266 stone vase
(NJ 6733 2665) Westhall (NR)
OS 6" map, (1959)
Westhall, originally a double square L-shaped tower-house with a rounded projection containing a newel stair in the re-entrant angle. A round tower containing the principal stair was added, probably in the 17th century, and the castle was again altered and repaired in 1838 (Hay 1887). It was still occupied in 1889 (MacGibbon and Ross 1887-92). There is no historic evidence of its precise date of construction. Hay believed it to be late 15th-early 16th century date, but the SDD (1960-) lists it as 17th century. Westhall belonged to the Diocese of Aberdeen from the 13th century to the Reformation, at which time it passed to the family of Horn (MacGibbon and Ross 1887-92).
A L Hay 1887; D MacGibbon and T Ross 1887-92; SDD 1960-.
The 16th-17th century tower-house forms the SW angle of the modern mansion, and is still occupied.
Visited by OS (NKB) 13 March 1969.
Tower [NR]
Westhall [NAT]
OS 1:10,000 map, 1982.
EXTERNAL REFERENCE:
Old plans in possession of A.G.R. MacKenzie in 1941
16th cent. L plan. Extended at E. End in 17th cent with round tower at SE angle. Mostly 3-storeyed. Harled. Corbelled parapet. Slated roof. With 19th cent additions at E end and rear. Cheese-press at rear.
Purchased by Rev James Horne from Gordons 1681. Passed to Dalrymple-Home Elphinstones and later to Leiths. Became a school for students of farming. (Historic Scotland)
The estate was originally the property of Bishops of Aberdeen; at Reformation changed to a branch of the Gordons, then purchased by Revd James Horne, vicar of Elgin in 1681.
Westhall has a small place in railway history, being the point where work began on the Great North of Scotland Railway in 1852. The estate owner, Sir James Elphinstone, had formerly been active in the Aberdeen Canal Company. (Ian Shepherd)
Photographic Survey (11 April 1957)
Photographic survey of the exterior of Westhall House, Aberdeenshire, and a few rooms in 1957.
