Mains Of Carnousie, Carnousie

Mains of Carnousie is a tower-house dating to around 1577, built by the Ogilvie family of Dunlugas. The building follows a Z-plan, with two storeys and an attic, comprising a main block with a square tower adjoining at the south-east angle and a round tower adjoining at the north-west angle. The round tower to the north-west may have been added later, possibly converting an original L-plan. The structure is harled with a rubble base course and red sandstone chamfered margins, some of which are roll-moulded.

The south elevation displays the square tower with a gable end and windows at each floor, alongside a round-arched, roll-moulded doorway on the return with a boarded door and gunloops to the left. A corbelled stair tower rises from the first floor to the attic in the re-entrant angle between the towers, featuring a gunloop and a small window. The main block contains three arrow slit openings and a gunloop at ground level, three tall 18th-century windows at first floor serving the great hall, and three windows to the second floor breaking the eaves in cat-slide dormers. The round tower to the north-west has tall windows at first and second floors.

On the north elevation, a small corbelled stair turret sits in the angle between the main block and south-east tower, connecting the second floor to the attic. The fenestration is irregular with many small openings: arrow slit windows at ground floor with a gunloop to the tower, and taller windows at first floor on each elevation. Two cat-slide dormers light the second floor of the main block. Windows are sash and case with 12-pane glazing, except those to the south-east tower which are half-timbered with panelled shutters and plate glass above. The building features renewed grey slates, a conical roof to the north-west tower with a ball finial, crowstepped gables, and corniced stacks with dentil moulding and rubble cope above.

The interior is vaulted at ground floor. A newel stair leads to the great hall at first floor, which has a roll-moulded fireplace with reset, fragmentary frieze, and inscription above.

Walter Ogilvy sold the lands, barony, and newly constructed fortalice to his brother in 1583. Mid-18th century additions by William Adam were demolished during mid-20th century restoration. These additions comprised a three-storey wing raised over a basement projecting to the south, with the intention possibly to lower the south-east tower and add a wing to the east, forming a symmetrical frontage. A full description of the castle prior to these demolitions appears in Transactions of the Banffshire Field Club (1936) by W D Simpson, with photographs in the National Monuments Record of Scotland and ground plan in the Ordnance Survey Map of 1871–74.

Patrick Duff built an alternative residence near the castle around 1825, known as The Cottage, sited to the south-east overlooking the Deveron; the rear wing survives opposite the modern Carnousie House. A third mansion was begun around 1830, designed by Archibald Simpson, and was almost complete when the property was sold again in 1843. This house was subsequently neglected and demolished around 1930, with its stone used to build Elphinstone Hall in Aberdeen. The walled garden and the imposing steading to the west, built by General Duff in 1797, survive as separate listed structures.