Market Buildings, Market Square, Stonehaven

The Market Buildings, built in Stonehaven between 1826 and 1827 to a design by Alexander Fraser, with the spire completed in 1856 and subsequent alterations, serve as a two-storey and attic, seven-bay, piend-roofed, classical market building. The front elevation faces Allardice Street, featuring a projecting, pedimented centre and a four-stage tower surmounted by a spire. The ground floor is characterized by round-arched, arcaded openings. The construction is predominantly red granite ashlar, with a band course delineating the floors and prominent voussoirs.

The eastern (Allardice Street) elevation's central bay contains a panelled timber door with a semicircular plate glass fanlight above it, and a single window below, topped by a shallow pediment that breaks the wallhead and continues into the tower. Flanking the central bay are arcaded bays with a mix of shop doors and windows, including one with an out-of-character shop front, and loggias to the outer bays. The first floor features regular fenestration, and later pedimented dormers flank the central bay.

The tower rises to a height of 130 feet, beginning with a polygonal plinth that transitions to a rotunda with four timber-louvered round-arched openings. A cornice sits above the rotunda, followed by an octagonal clock stage. The top stage is timber-columned and pedimented, culminating in a polygonal spire with a ball finial and decorative ironwork weathervane.

The north elevation boasts a ground-floor loggia comprising three segmental-arched openings. A blocked window is centrally placed at the first floor, with a shouldered wallhead stack above it. The south elevation mirrors the north with a similar loggia and window/stack arrangement, incorporating large pall stones to the interior angles.

The west (Market Square) elevation features a ground-floor arcade, with open arches in the loggias of the outer left and right bays. The remaining bays contain modern shop fronts. The first floor has near-regular fenestration, with additional small windows flanking bay four, and two regrettable modern box dormers.

The windows are plate glass, installed in sash and case style frames. The roof is covered with grey slates, topped with coped granite stacks featuring polygonal cans.

The first-floor interior, which houses the Unionist Club, was renovated in the 1980s. Original features retained include a partially glazed screen door, some decorative plasterwork cornicing and a consoled keystoned arch, timber dadoes, architraved doors, and a staircase with a timber handrail and enclosed balusters.