Stables, Durn House, Portsoy

The stables at Durn House in Portsoy date from the later 18th century and consist of a single storey and loft, forming a wide 5-bay stable and carriage house range. The building is constructed of rubble with ashlar dressings.

The central bay is slightly advanced and gabled, featuring a large garage entrance on the ground floor. Above this, there is a single round-headed loft door with a keystone and blocked imposts, flanked by loft vents and topped with a corniced bellcote at the apex. On the left outer bay, there is a doorway set in a segmental recess, while a similar segmental entrance to the carriage house is located in the outer bay on the right, with a single loft window above it.

A forestair at the south gable has a rubble parapet and a round-headed recessed 'goose bay' at its base, leading to the loft entrance in the south gable. This entrance features a plank door with an 18th-century hand-made latch and a heart-shaped bracket. There is also a later single-storey gig house at the north gable and a low range of additional stables at the rear. The building is topped with a slate roof.

Inside, the stables have 4-stalled accommodation, with only the end mural trevis (stall partition) surviving, which includes a half-round end post and urn finial. There are 4 semi-circular ashlar-lined hay-hecks, fronted by racks and featuring keystoned moulded arches; these rise through the wall to the loft above, where they terminate in simple round-headed arches. The interior also has a moulded plaster ceiling cornice and a central roundel. The former harness, saddle, and grooms' room is located on the left, while the carriage house is on the right.