21. Architecture—(_d_) Domestic.

The mansion-houses of the county, whether they are ancient fortalices modernised by later additions or entirely modern buildings erected within a century of the present time, deserve more space than can be allotted to them here. They are of all types of architecture, classical, renaissance, and composite, but there is no doubt that the castellated, Scotch baronial, the traditional type so common in the seventeenth century, still predominates.

Balmoral Castle

Foremost among them must be mentioned Balmoral Castle far up the valley of the Dee. Built in 1853 of a light grey granite found in the neighbourhood, it is composed of two semi-detached squares with connecting wings, and displays the usual castellated towers, high-pitched gables and conical roofed turrets. The massive clock-tower rising to a height of 100 feet from amongst the surrounding leafage and gleaming white in summer sunshine forms a pleasing picture. The late Queen Victoria purchased the estate in 1848, and the Prince Consort took a great personal interest in the design the details of which are said to be modelled on a close studyof Castle Fraser, already referred to. For more than half a century it has been a royal residence and though many additions and alterations have been made in that time, the general picture of the edifice remains the same to the traveller on the Deeside road. Two miles below is Abergeldie Castle, which has been leased by the Royal Family for many years. Its turreted square tower, old and plain and somewhat cramped in space, serves as a contrast to the more spacious modern mansion.

This region of the Dee has many mansions. Invercauld House, reconstructed in 1875, is in the same manner, its chief feature being a battlemented tower seventy feet high. The situation of Invercauld at the foot of a high hill and backed by plantations of pine and with a beautiful green terrace stretching to the river Dee is probably unsurpassed in the district. As seen from the Lion’s Face Rock, a perpendicular cliff on the south side of the river, this house of the Farquharsons makes a striking picture not likely ever to be forgotten. Farther up is Mar Lodge, the residence of the Duke of Fife, in the horizontal and English domestic style. It was built so recently as 1898, and replaced a somewhat similar building destroyed by fire. Glenmuick House, built in 1873, is in the Tudor style, strongly treated and modified to harmonise with the rugged surroundings. The only other Deeside mansion we can refer to is Kincardine Lodge, recently built, a very fine building, based to a large extent on the plan of Fyvie Castle, which we have already referred to as the grandest castellated mansion-house in the north.

Cluny Castle

Donside is not so well furnished with stately and luxurious manor-houses, but it has Castle Newe and Cluny Castle, the antique-modern Place of Tilliefoure, Fintray House in the Tudor style, Pitmathen in French Renaissance, each in its own way a work of art. Midway between the two valleys is Dunecht House, which was built for Lord Lindsay, a great authority on Christianart, and of which the most striking feature is the great campanile in the Italian manner.

Haddo House

In the Ythan valley, Haddo House, the residence of the Earl of Aberdeen, Lord Lieutenant of the County, belongs to the period of the late English Renaissance, but additions have been made from time to time. Crimonmogate, Strichen, and Philorth are classic.

It is a curious fact, worthy of mention, that the local masons have almost developed a school of craftsmanship, by the thorough conscientiousness and downright honesty

Midmar Castle

of their work. We have already remarked that Kintore and Inverurie seemed to be the centre from which the sculptured stones radiated. In the same region are the group of castles, Castle Fraser, Craigievar, Midmar and Cluny (now destroyed), all within an easy radius of the centre. Castle Fraser and Midmar were built by a mason called John Bell, whose work was characterised by sterlingqualities. The art would almost seem to have been handed down through several generations of craftsmen, for the modern Cluny Castle and Dunecht House, as well as their chapels, besides other palatial and extensive fabrics, were built entirely by local masons, without any extraneous help. It seems as if the building art were indigenous to this particular locality.

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