Badenyon

Badenyon, Begg's House Steading

A traditional farmhouse dating to circa 1800 or earlier, situated at the point where the old drove road from the north crosses the glen. This is a substantial two-storey, three-bay rectangular-plan dwelling, considerably larger than most of the small farming settlements in Glenbuchat, and represents an important survival of early Donside vernacular architecture.

The exterior is rendered in thin lime harl with evidence of large ashlar blocks visible on the south elevation and rubble elsewhere. The principal south elevation is symmetrical, with widely spaced bays featuring harled ashlar margins and quoin strips. A small timber porch obscures a two-leaf boarded timber door at the centre of the ground floor, with windows in the flanking bays. The first floor has a small window at the centre and windows to the flanking bays that break the eaves into stone-pedimented dormer heads, with a small rooflight to the centre. The windows show evidence of multi-pane glazing patterns in timber sash and case construction. The roof is covered with grey slates and features a stone ridge. Broad coped ashlar gable-head stacks with thackstanes rise from the roof, and ashlar-coped skews with block skewputts finish the gables. A bedroom outshot is present to the rear, with a later lean-to bay added at the west gable.

The interior contains outstanding architectural details of considerable significance. The principal feature is a wide segmental, almost flat-arched voussoired fireplace of ingle type, incorporating a canopied central hearth and salt box. This fireplace is exceptional: similar structures were discovered during a 2005 survey of the area at old farmhouses in the adjoining parish of Strathdon, including Skellater House, Bellabeg House, West Tornahaish and Mains of Glencarvie, and a comparable example dated 1822 exists in Glenfenzie. As noted in The Rural Architecture of Scotland, such fireplaces were considerably larger than one would expect in buildings of this size, with proportions more suitable for the great hall of a tower house or castle. The interior also retains timber wall cupboards and evidence of box beds. An enclosed timber staircase leads to the first floor, which contains two bedrooms with coomb ceilings. Immediately to the east of the front door is a rectangular wall recess, a feature also found in several Strathdon houses, whose purpose was probably for storing a container of milk or water.

Badenyon lies at a location of historical significance. The site of Badenyon Castle is located immediately to the east of Begg's House, and the settlement itself is fairly typical of the small farming communities that once existed throughout the glen, though larger than most. The area has experienced documented depopulation, with evidence of ruins visible at almost every settlement. At the beginning of the twentieth century, Begg's House was superseded by the separately listed Jeannie's House.

The Badenyon settlement includes further structures. Two steading ranges exist at the location: a slate-roofed U-plan steading of slightly later date stands immediately to the west of Begg's House (listed category C); Jeannie's House listing includes an 18th century L-plan steading and Jeannie's Mother's House, another earlier dwelling.

The building was formerly recorded as Badenyon Farmhouse. The listing grade was changed from C(S) to B in 2006.