Former Roman Catholic Seminary, Scalan, Braes of Glenlivet

The Former Roman Catholic Seminary at Scalan, Braes of Glenlivet, is a 2-storey, 4-bay rectangular building constructed in 1767 with its first floor and attic raised in 1787-8. Built of rubble stone with lime harl, it was deliberately designed to resemble a farmhouse so it would blend inconspicuously into the moorland landscape of scattered crofts and farmsteads. The building forms part of a U-plan court with a single-storey late 18th century cottage to the right and a roofless outbuilding to the left.

The principal west elevation features irregular window openings and a central 2-leaf timber door, above which sits a small rectangular recess—probably a blocked window from the original 1767 building. The first floor windows are slightly larger than those on the ground floor, reflecting the 1787-8 enlargement. A first floor door in the north gable provided access to the chapel, though the external stair that once served it no longer survives. Windows are predominantly lying pane glazing in timber frames. The roof is laid with Tomintoul slates and has straight skews and tooled granite ridge and end chimney stacks. Two late 18th century single-storey lean-to extensions project from the rear elevation.

The interior was restored in the 1990s to return the layout to that of the 18th century seminary. Most internal walls are finished in pointed rubble stone, though some retain plaster and old wallpaper. Panelled doors are present throughout. The ground floor has stone flags; the first and attic floors are timber. A first floor chapel at the north end contains a small timber altar. Stone fireplaces occupy the end walls at ground and first floor levels.

The adjacent single-storey cottage dates to the late 18th century and is built of rubble laid in shallow courses with harl pointing. The south elevation is 3 bays with a central later lean-to porch, whilst a 2-bay extension extends to the east gable. A single central window marks the north rear elevation. The roof has been replaced with corrugated asbestos sheeting, and straight skews and chimney stacks rise to the gables.

Scalan holds profound historical significance as a centre for preserving Roman Catholic faith in Scotland during the 18th century. Roman Catholicism had been outlawed following the Scottish Reformation in 1560, with its practice theoretically punishable by deportation. The remote location of the Braes of Glenlivet provided the necessary isolation to shelter Catholics. Founded by Bishop James Gordon, the seminary operated from 1716 to 1799 and trained approximately 100 Catholic priests whilst serving as an administrative centre for the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland.

The seminary was first established in 1716 in a small cottage. During the 1720s, pupils and staff were repeatedly forced into hiding by government troops. In 1746, following the Battle of Culloden, the Duke of Cumberland led troops who burned the original cottage to the ground. The current building dates to 1767, when a new seminary was constructed.

The 1787-8 heightening of the walls, documented in Dean and Taitt's 1995 article 'Scalan Reconstructed: Architectural and Documentary Evidence', created a larger first floor and tall attic space. The blocked opening above the door and enlarged first floor windows attest to this later phase. The rear lean-to extensions, added at the same time, functioned as a chapel and kitchen respectively, supplementing the first floor chapel at the north end which could be accessed externally via a now-lost external stair.

The church closed Scalan in 1799 following the repeal of the Penal Laws, which made larger and more visible seminaries feasible. The seminary was transferred to Aquhorthies near Inverurie in 1799 and subsequently to Blairs College near Aberdeen in 1829. After closure, Abbé Paul MacPherson established the nearby town of Chapeltown, where a Catholic parish church was built. The former seminary then became a farmhouse, and agricultural buildings including two mills (separately listed) were constructed in the vicinity.

The building is an important component of a remote group of informally arranged agricultural buildings that together with the North Mill and South Mill evidence the historical, social and agricultural development of Scalan from the 18th century to the early 20th century. The category of listing was changed from B to A on 9 November 1987. The statutory record was revised in 2016 following an interior inspection.