10, 12 Invercauld Road, Braemar

This circa 1900 pair of shops stands at the heart of Braemar village. The buildings are symmetrical in design, single-storey with an attic, and comprise four bays. They are constructed from Aberdeen-bonded squared and coursed granite. The north-west (principal) elevation features a pair of tall central doors recessed within glazed timber sidelights, flanked by display windows. The roof is low-pitched. Distinctive triangular-plan dormers, set back and decorated with bargeboards, rise above the roofline. Later extensions exist to the south-west.

Deep eaves are covered with grey slate, and the roof ridge is finished with red tiles. The north-east display window retains its original four-pane glazing, while the south-west window has plate glass.

Internally, the shops have been modernised but retain original features. Lamont Sporrans, currently occupied by a sporran maker, contains cabinets from its previous use as a chemist’s shop, and a corner fireplace has been uncovered. Both shops have timber panelling fixed directly to the stonework.

The shops are not depicted on the Ordnance Survey map of 1899-1901. The canted sidelights and set-back gabled dormers are noteworthy details. Despite a rear extension to one half, the original proportions of the shop window openings have been maintained. Other characteristic Braemar features include the symmetrical frontage, decorative bargeboards, and grey slates with a red tile ridge. The buildings have made a significant economic and visual contribution to the local area. Previously, Lamont Sporrans operated as the Invercauld Sportsman and, before that, as Sedgwick’s Chemists.