Stables, Aden House

Circa 1800; coachman's house added 1830s, probably by John Smith; 1976-80 restored by McAdam Design Partnership, with Bain of Mintlaw, builders, now converted to museum. Exceptional 2-storey, semicircular-plan, steading at heart of Aden estate, with central 4-stage tower dovecot and dwellings retaining some interior detailing; circular court with 2-storey, 5-bay, rectangular-plan coachman's house converted to display centre and offices; and small single storey laundry and byre converted to shop and office. Steading harled with segmental-headed cart arches; coachman's house coursed granite rubble with squared rubble margins and lintels, band course and voussoired segmental cart arch.

SEMICIRCULAR RANGE: symmetrical principal elevation to S (fronting courtyard) comprising 2-storey, 11-bay (bays grouped 4-3-4) semicircular wings flanking 4-stage, square, centre tower with 2 cart arches at 1st stage, Venetian windows to 2nd and 3rd stages (that to 3rd blind), tripartite lunette with flight holes at 4th stage, and truncated pyramid roof surmounted by Roman Doric columned open cupola with weathervane-finialled dome. Each curved wing with paired cart arches flanking tower at centre, stone forestair beyond and various door and window openings to each floor of outer bays.

Rear (N) elevation with later single storey museum wing projecting from 1st stage of centre tower; 2 forestairs and variety of openings to right (W) and full-height, 3-bay wing projecting into higher ground at left (E) with 3 cart arches to left return and broad 1st floor door below stone bellcote at projecting gabled end; evidence of millwheel housing to set-back face at right. See Notes for plan detail. Interior retains some original detail including timber-lined horseman's house with fireplaces, and stone nesting boxes to dovecote.

COACHMAN'S HOUSE: 2-storey, 5-bay, rectangular-plan former

coachman's house and stables to S of courtyard opposite semicircular range. Slightly projecting centre bay to S elevation with voussoired, segmental cart arch below 3 pairs of arrow slits (centre pair glazed) and blind oculus in gablehead; flanking bays each with panelled timber door and 5-part fanlight and windows to outer bays, all below small horizontal windows at 1st floor. See Notes for plan detail. Interior with timber loose boxes, cobbled setts, iron feeding troughs and fireplaces.

CRAFT SHOP RANGE: small, single storey harled and slated former small byre and dairy with slightly lower store, to SW also curved corresponding with semicircular range, now converted to shop and Book of Deer Project office.

Multi-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case and top-opening windows. Grey slates with some rooflights to lesser elevations. Ashlar and harled stacks, some with thackstanes and some shouldered, with polygonal cans. Ashlar-coped skews to semicircular range; plain bargeboarding to coachman's house. Doors of boarded or panelled timber.