Aberdeenshire HER - NO08NW0037 - THE RED HOUSE

Main Details

Primary Reference	NO08NW0037
Name	THE RED HOUSE
NMRS Card No.	NO08NW29
NMRS Numlink	81230
Site Form	Standing Structure
Site Condition	Incomplete
Details	Keeper's cottage, within a wider settlement area (NO08NW0032) probably built in the early 19th century. A three bayed building with a corrugated iron roof, which has been abandoned and gutted of furnishings. A cobbled stand for an outbuilding is attached to the west northwest (thought to have been a timber framed stables and deer larder in use until the early 1970s). There is also a turf-banked enclosure to the east northeast which was used for sheep grazing until the late 1950s. A building survey was carried out by Kirkdale in 1998. This revealed two main structural phases. The earlier is represented by four upright cruck-posts embedded in the rear (northwest) wall, the remnants of a cruck-framed building. Most of this building was demolished during the second phase of construction, the cruck frame being largely removed, the building widened to the front and reroofed. In 2000 a conservation plan was devised for the structure known as The Red House. The building has deteriorated over the last 30 years and at the time of the plan had a large hole in the south gable, and a bulging and collapsing north gable. The flooring at attic and ground level was gone and some of the roof timbers had been burnt through. Recent survey work has provided detail of at least two phases of construction, from a small cruck framed building to a larger corrugated iron roofed structure. Originally the building was constructed from mortared river boulders, later the east wall was rebuilt using dressed granite and the level of the roof was raised. A building survey identified the remains of a porch, and there is also evidence of a lean-to structure on the north gable. Dendrochronological samples were taken from elements of both phases of the building as part of the SCOT2K project from the cruck-posts from the first phase gave dates of 1799 and circa 1808. The different dates is suggested as resulting from the estate stockpiling timber for local use. Excavation and measured survey was carried out by NTS in May 2018 as part of a Thistle Camp scheme, ahead of proposed redevelopment of the building as part of a partnership project with the Mountain Bothy Association. The excavation uncovered remnants of an internal timber floor and stone footing of a front porch, along with well preserved remnants of a paved external area, all relating to the buildings final phase of occupation. Much of the floor boarding had been removed and burnt during the buildings more-recent use as an unofficial shelter, demonstrated by a large area of burning at the centre of the house, as well as a large amount of nails and door furniture deposited inside the building. A watching brief was carried out in 2019 by NTS during ground works for a new soakaway for external toilets. Nothing of archaeological significance was uncovered during the work.
Last Update	20/03/2024

National Grid Reference: NO 0029 8688

Easting: 352980, Northing: 810780

Compiler	RCM
Date of Compilation

Event Details

Event Date	Event Type
1905	Building Recording
1905	Research Project
1905	Survey
1905	Excavation
1905	Watching-Brief

Excavations and Surveys

Date M	Date Y	Type	Duration	Director / Organisation	Auspices	Fund	Extent
7	1993	Survey	1	P DIXON	RCM	RCM	100
5	2018	Excavation		NTS	NTS	NTS

Artefact and Ecofact

Ecofact

Samples
Palynology
Ecofact Notes

Monument Types

Monument Type 1	Monument Type 2	Monument Type 3	Order	Probability
HOUSES	GAMEKEEPER	REMAINS OF	A	100
ROOFS	IRON	CORRUGATED	B	100
ENCLOSURES		TURF-BUILT	C	100

Google Map for NO08NW0037

National Status

National Status
Scheduled (under AM + Arch Area Act 1979)

Regional Status

Photo Details

Bibliographic Detail

Bib Ref No	Title	Author	Date	Others	Editor	Published	Details	Date M	Date Y
03074	DES : MAR LODGE ESTATE ; RED HOUSE	A DUNN	1999			CSA. EDINBURGH	8-9		1999
01953	MAR LODGE ESTATE SURVEY		1995	Y		EDINBURGH			1993
01262	The Red House,Mar Lodge Estate.A Conservation Plan	C KIDD	2000	Y		NTS 2000	CONSERVATION REPORT	9	2000
01962	MAR LODGE, CONDITION SURVEY		1996			RCAHMS, EDINBURGH	p39		1996
01144	MAR LODGE ESTATE VOLI, DOCUMENTARY RESEARCH	F JAMIESON	1998			NTS	p.58		1998
01270	THE RED HOUSE, MAR LODGE ESTATE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORDING VOLs 1 & 2		1999				VOL 1 & 2	4	1999
18253	DENDROCHRONOLOGICALLY DATED PINE BUILDINGS FROM SCOTLAND. IN VERNACULAR ARCHITECTURE, VOL. 48 (2017), 23-43	C.M. MILLS	2017	Y					2017
04103	RED HOUSE, MAR LODGE ESTATE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND EXCAVATION - PROJECT DESIGN AND WSI		2018						2018
16156	DISCOVERY AND EXCAVATION IN SCOTLAND, NEW SERIES, VOLUME 19, 2018		2019				pp. 12-13		2019
04112	RED HOUSE, MAR LODGE ESTATE: ARCHAEOLOGICAL SURVEY AND EXCAVATION 2018		2018				Survey Excavation DSR		2018
04123	STATEMENT OUTLINING ARCHAEOLOGICAL MONITORING DURING PROPOSED EXCAVATION OF SOAKAWAY AT RED HOUSE, MAR LODGE		2019				WSI		2019
04131	THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR SCOTLAND RED HOUSE: MAR LODGE ESTATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL WATCHING BRIEF		2019				Watching Brief DSR		2019

Location

Historic Administrative Area Name	Crathie and Braemar
Positional Accuracy	Centred at
Buffer Zone	15-20m
Buffer Type	Bespoke
Capture Scale	Unknown
Spatial Feature Type	Polygon: Unknown Extent

Environment

Constraints	Privately owned, access by arrangement - difficult access.
Altitude	440
Geology
Topography	Terrace
Aspect 1	SE
Aspect 2	Open
Current Land Use	Rough Grazing
Vegetation
Soil Type
Hydrology

Measurements

Plan	Y
Shape 1
Shape 2
Diameter
Length
Width
Thickness
Depth
Area
Height

Historic Land Use

Period Details

Period	Order	Probability	Radiocarbon Dates	Date Built	Date of Destruction	Date of Loss
Post-Medieval (from 1560 AD)	A	100
19th Century	B	100

Period Notes

Period Notes

Dendrochronological dates from native pine cruck-posts (SCOT2K project): span of 1707-1808 - felling dates 1799 and circa 1808.

Architect Details

Architect Details

Maritime Archaeology

empty