St Meddens, Cothal, Fintray, Aberdeen

St Meddens is a detached farmhouse dating from the early 19th century, situated on an elevated site within wooded and landscaped grounds bounded by the River Don to the south. The building is constructed in coursed, snecked and harl-pointed granite blocks with granite dressings and quoin strips.

The house is roughly T-plan in shape, comprising a main two-storey, three-bay section with a two-storey, two-bay rear wing. A lower, rectangular-plan outshot is attached to the south side of the rear wing. The principal west elevation is symmetrical, with two bay windows with dressed granite bases flanking a central entrance. The entrance features a timber door with a glazed fanlight above and a granite cornice on console brackets.

The windows are predominantly timber sash and case frames. The first floor windows in the front elevation have a four-pane glazing pattern, while the remaining sash and case windows predominantly feature nine and 12-pane glazing patterns. The pitched roofs are slated with angled skews and block skewputts. A chimneystack sits on each gable, each comprising a pair of diamond-set shafts (square shafts set at an angle) topped by clay.

The interior contains 19th century features in the principal ground floor rooms, including deep skirting, picture rails and moulded cornicing. The staircase has timber balusters and a polished timber handrail, dividing at the landing into two to access the front and back parts of the house. The rectangular-plan outshot is lower in height and stylistically plainer than the remainder of the house, suggesting it served as service quarters. This section contains a narrow curving staircase and is close to the rear entrance door.

Historically, St Meddens was known as Oldmanse in the 19th century. The house was built by 1841, as recorded in the census records of that year and 1851, when it was inhabited by tenant farmers with agricultural labourers and domestic servants. The design and form, with its symmetrical front elevation, evenly spaced openings and square first floor windows, are indicative of an earlier 19th century date. The bay windows appear to be later additions, though they are shown on the 1st Edition Ordnance Survey map (surveyed 1865, published 1867), indicating they are not significantly later than the main structure.

Between 1851 and 1861, St Meddens was occupied by the Crombie family. John Crombie was a wool and tweed manufacturer and owner of the nearby Cothal Mills (now demolished). The 1853-54 New County Directory for Fintray records John Crombie as a farmer at Old Manse and as manufacturer at Cothal Mills under the company name J and J Crombie.

The land around Cothal was part of the tenanted farm holdings of the Forbes (later Forbes-Sempill) family of Craigievar and Fintray. Sir William Forbes, 8th Baronet of Craigievar (1836-1905), was a principal heritor in the area and owned many farms and crofts of varying sizes in the parish, including St Meddens. St Meddens belonged to the Forbes-Sempill family until 1952. By 1960, the house was advertised for sale and described as having a pantry, gun room, maid's room, laundry, double garage and outhouses.

The garden area immediately southeast of the house is labelled on the Ordnance Survey map as the site of an old manse, which is likely the origin of the name Oldmanse. The ruins of St Meddan's Church and its graveyard are shown to the east, approximately halfway between St Meddens and Cothal Mills.

A conservatory on the south elevation and a detached garage to the east are excluded from the listing.