Old Stables, Ballindalloch

Old Stables, Ballindalloch

A single-storey-and-attic complex of early to mid-19th century date, later substantially altered. The building comprises a U-plan stable block with a formerly detached cottage (originally said to have been a byre) positioned to the north. In the 20th century, the stable block was extended on its west side to adjoin the cottage, and both structures were converted to a pair of cottages.

The buildings are harled with droved sandstone dressings. Throughout, crowstepped gables feature moulded skewputts. A base course and eaves course define the principal elevation of the stable block, with vertical margins at the arrises. Most openings are architraved, with the exception of those on the ground floor of the west elevation of the stable block, the later western extension, and inserted dormers; the cottage openings are painted.

The stable block presents a symmetrical principal (south) elevation. The centrepiece is a large round-arched passageway with roll-moulded architrave leading through to the stable yard. The entrance to No. 2 is set back within this passageway to the right, accessed by a boarded timber door. The elevation is arranged in three bays with flanking windows to each floor; those to the attic are breaking-eaves dormers. The central attic dormer sits within a crowstepped gable with a roundel at its centre; the flanking dormers are gabled with probable truncated stone finials. Lower-height flanking outer bays each have a ground floor window; the window to the left has been altered and widened in the late 20th century with a concrete architrave, and a dormer has been inserted above the right bay window.

The west elevation features a gabled bay to the right with two ground floor windows and one attic window. The entrance to No. 1, positioned to the left, comprises a two-leaf timber door with a rectangular fanlight. Two further windows occupy the left section, with a smaller opening beyond. A four-bay extension with a shallow window to each bay adjoins to the left, linking the stable block to the cottage.

The east elevation has a gabled bay to the left with a ground floor window and a hayloft opening with a boarded timber door above; the right section is blank.

The north elevation of the stable block's central three-bay section has a round-arched passageway with roll-moulded architrave at its centre. A window is positioned to the right, with a gabled breaking-eaves bipartite dormer featuring a truncated finial above the arch. Rear wings project to either side. The left wing has a window to the right of its gable end and a small storage shed addition with a single-pitch roof to the left. The right return has a pair of segmental-headed cart openings with boarded timber doors. The right wing is linked to the cottage via a later extension; the original wing's left return has an entrance with a panelled timber door, a window to the right, an inserted flat-roofed dormer above, and two small openings to the left. The extension to the right contains four windows, including a smaller, narrower window at higher level to the outer right.

The cottage's north (principal) elevation has a gabled section to the right with an entrance featuring a part-glazed replacement timber door to the left and two windows (one small) to the right. An attic window, said to have been a hayloft opening, sits within the gable. A slightly lower-height section to the left has two windows. The east elevation shows a central ground floor window at the gable end and a blocked arrowhead ventilation opening above. A coursed sandstone rubble boundary wall with slab coping projects to the left, enclosing the stable yard. The west elevation is a blank gable end with a window in the right return (part of the north side). The south elevation has three irregularly disposed windows, grouped two and one.

The roofs are of grey slate. Corniced gablehead stacks flank the single-storey-and-attic three-bay central section of the stable block; the cottage has a later rendered coped mid-pitch stack with round cans. The principal (south) elevation of the stable block retains original rainwater goods stamped with floral and geometric designs.

Windows are predominantly six- and twelve-pane timber sash-and-case type, with some modern replacements including casements.

The interior was not inspected at the time of recording (2001).