Auchterhouse Mansion

Auchterhouse Mansion

A Grade A listed building, Auchterhouse Mansion is a 17th century house incorporating 13th century fabric at its core, with multi-period additions developing into an outstanding example of domestic architecture spanning from the medieval period through to the early 20th century. The mansion stands at the centre of an estate predominantly developed from the mid 18th century onwards.

The building comprises an early 17th century south range incorporating an earlier 2-storey vaulted tower house, an earlier 17th century west range forming an L-plan subsequently extended in the mid 18th century, a mid 18th century north range forming a U-plan enclosed to the east by a wall with gatepiers, and a single storey lean-to at the east (inner) elevation added in 1852. The house has been extensively repaired and renovated over its history: major repairs were undertaken in 1851 under William Scott, and further significant renovations were carried out in 1923 by J Donald Mills and Godfrey D B Shepherd, including reharling, opening of a blocked west door, removal of the centre door at the south range, addition of dormers, and internal alterations.

The building is constructed of harled rubble with some irregular moulded architraves at the earlier sections and margined architraves at the 18th century additions.

The south elevation features an advanced off-centre gabled entrance tower with short buttresses at the angles and a moulded continuous corbel course at the 1st and 2nd floors. The tower contains a timber boarded door set within a moulded doorcase. Two irregular windows occupy the 1st floor with a blocked window at the right return, whilst paired small windows sit at the 2nd floor with a further window at the left return. A window at the gable is flanked by small shot-holes, with a further shot-hole at the right return. The tower is crowned with a scrolled apex finial. To the right of the tower, a 3-storey section of 2 bays features 2 small windows with security bars at ground floor level and 2 symmetrical windows at both the 1st and 2nd floors, with the 2nd floor slightly recessed. To the left of the tower stands a 2-storey section with early 20th century attic, extending 4 bays, with an advanced stack to the left. This section contains a door and window to the left with moulded surrounds, whilst a former door to the right has been converted to a window. Dormers with carved pediments occupy this section, with the left dormer displaying a coat of arms and the centre dormer bearing a marriage stone.

The west elevation displays an early 17th century advanced gable of the south range to the right with a buttress at the right angle, slightly recessed at the 1st and 2nd floors. The bays to the left of the gable comprise an earlier 17th century 2-storey section with dormered attic spanning 2 bays, followed by a further mid 18th century 3-storey section of 2 bays to the left with regular fenestration. A wallhead stack sits at the centre.

The north elevation presents a tall single storey range with 2 wide, stepped stacks truncated at the wallhead with later narrower stacks above. A 3-storey gable of the west range rises at the right.

The east elevation is punctuated by corniced and channelled ashlar gatepiers at the centre with adjoining courtyard walls. The gable of the south range sits to the left with a small garderobe window at the 2nd floor, whilst a monopitch gable of the north range occupies the right.

Within the courtyard, the south elevation features a door to the centre with 2 corbel stones to the left, an early 17th century section slightly advanced to the right, and irregular fenestration. The west elevation opens with stone-margined openings to the right and 2 piended dormers, with a single storey lean-to spanning the full width of the elevation. An advanced section to the left contains a door to the return, whilst the roof to the lean-to is partially cut down to the right for an original window. The north elevation presents windows to the left with stone margins, and the east elevation is flanked by lean-tos adjoining an opening.

The interior, examined in 1991 and 2011, reveals exceptional 17th century decorative schemes. A barrel-vaulted ground floor to the east of the south range is accessed through a round-headed moulded ashlar doorpiece. The drawing room (presently dining room) and ante room are distinguished by richly decorated compartmentalised plaster ceilings dating to circa 1620, featuring large plaster pendants, monograms, and floricate and foliate motifs. The drawing room contains a fine similarly detailed overmantle decorated with a Buchan arrangement of arms and 3 Corinthian colonettes at the angles. The library on the 1st floor displays a fine but less elaborate compartmentalised ceiling and a Rococo fireplace; corbelled evidence of newel stairs survives in the north-west corner of the library. Two bedrooms feature interesting 17th century plaster-decorated ceilings, including an effigy of Mary, daughter of the 5th Earl of Buchan and wife of the 6th Earl. Various moulded chimneypieces are distributed throughout, and a garderobe is incorporated within the north-east angle of a 2nd floor bedroom at the east of the south range. Some fielded panel doors survive.

The mansion is roofed with pitched grey slate, the skews being flat-coped with moulded skew putts. Ashlar coped stacks run along the ridge and at the end elevations, topped with clay cans. The fenestration throughout consists mostly of 12-pane sash and case windows.

Associated with the mansion is a circa late 19th century timber game store, approximately 3 metres high, set on tapered and polished ashlar stilts. It features curvilinear doors at the front and louvred sides, topped with a pyramidal roof.

A circa mid 17th century card table type sundial survives on the property, comprising a moulded baluster shaft with a moulded dial chamfered at the angles bearing incised figures (much weathered) and a metal gnomon.

The garden features various drystane walls and steps, with additional walls, steps and enclosing walls present within a landscaped den positioned to the east of the house.