Rinaton, Ballater

Rinaton is an early to mid-18th century, two-storey and three-bay house with a low, single-storey, two-bay wing to the right. The east (principal) elevation is harled, while the other elevations are granite rubble. The wing to the right features a two-leaf boarded timber entrance door with a simple, narrow two-pane fanlight. There are regularly spaced openings close to the eaves of the wing to the first floor, with a window to the ground floor right and a later, larger opening in the middle of the ground floor.

The house generally has four-pane timber sash and case windows, with a nine-pane central window to the ground floor on the east side. The roof is covered in grey slate, and the gables have thackstones. Raised, coped skews and skewputts are present.

Inside, the house has simple cast iron chimney pieces.

The ancillary building is a remarkable, single-storey structure with steeply gabled ends. It features a small, deeply recessed timber sash and case window to the south. It’s constructed of granite rubble and has a corrugated iron roof. A central timber gable entrance door is on the west side, with timbering above. There are raised skews and skewputts on the east side. A hearth is present with large granite jambs and lintel. The roof is a simple A-frame structure with tie-beams.

Rinaton probably dates from the early to mid-18th century and is little-altered. While the fenestration to the ground floor has been altered, it was likely originally symmetrical. The ancillary structure is unusual due to its timber construction and steeply sloping gables. The house was built for the Macdonalds of Rineton.