Craigston Castle Home Farm Steading, Craigston Castle Policies, Turriff

Range of farm buildings, the central group of 4 free standing buildings flanking rectangular yard dating from 1766 onwards, together with slaughter house sited on rise to NE. Though some ranges have later harling, the original building materials are red Turriff sandstone ashlar dressings, reddish field rubble and cherry-pointed coursed, squared conglomerate. All with gabled slate roofs and most with apex ball finials. COURTYARD RANGES: open court flanked E and W by long ranges (long elevations E and W), at W dated 1766 and E of 1777. E range with slit mural vents indicating original use as grain store/barn: both with grotesque carved stone finials at S apices and both now adapted internally for modern agricultural use. Shorter N side of court filled by byre and cart shed (1777). FORMER STABLES AND CARRIAGE HOUSE: dated 1792, linked at right angles to form L-plan with long 1766 W block; gutted and now joiner's workshop. Single storey and loft, long S elevation much altered; hay loft entry in W gable. RUINOUS CART AND IMPLEMENT SHED AT E: (1822). Also 1822 ruinous single storey and dormerless attic cottage at NW. SLAUGHTER HOUSE: dated 1777. Single storey, rectangular building facing S. Centre door with dated lintel flanked by mock stone cannons ('later insertions) and flanked each side by narrow vent. Squared cherry-pointed conglomerate frontage, rubble gables and rear ashlar margins. Tuskers project from rear wall ('indicating original intention to extend building). Slate roof with skylight and apex ball finials; stone ridge; shaped run-off skewputts. (ref: Historic Scotland)

July 2009: SCT is contacted by the building owner nominating the former steading for inclusion on the Register. The owner is in initial discussions with both the local authority and Historic Scotland for a scheme of repair and reuse. The likely approach will be a phased programme of works, supported with an element of enabling development, to make the steadings wind and water tight initially, then bring the buildings into use as holiday lets. The buildings appear in fair condition at this time, there are some slipped slates and broken glazings to rooflights, there is also a small amount of vegetation growth on the buildings. The complex is currently vacant and unused.

November 2010: External inspection finds the buildings remain vacant and in fair condition.

July 2011: Historic Scotland has offered a grant award of £243,371. The plans for the repairs to the Craigston Castle estate will repair the external shell of the buildings to make them wind and watertight, including roof repairs, stonework re-pointing, lime harling and the repair and reinstatement of doors, windows and guttering. The wider project will see them become holiday accommodation, encouraging sustainable tourism.

23 October 2013: External inspection finds the building remains in much the same condition as seen previously. Full Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent for restoration and conversion of the home farm to form 7 holiday lets with a parallel application for the erection of 14 dwellinghouses as an enabling development, were conditonally approved Aug 2013 ref: APP/2013/0657 & APP/2013/0657. The application for an enabling development remains under consultation ref: APP/2013/0656.