Craigston Castle Home Farm Cottages, 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. S side of court closed by pair of single storey cottages with dormerless attics, 1 of 3 bays, other of 2 bays with alternate window/door/window frontage.

Constructed in 1777 (but dated 1823 or 1828, 'recording alterations). Small windows with timber sash and case glazing: squat end chimney stacks; slate roof. Re-used 16th century carved stone finials. Re-used carved stone finials on pair of cottages from Carnousie, Banff and Buchan. These cottages were model dwellings comparable with the best of their period. Though the interior of some of the farm buildings have been adapted to modern use, the survival of this mid-18th/early 19th century Mains Farm as originally laid out, is of considerable interest. (Historic Scotland)

July 2009: SCT is contacted by the building owner nominating the former steading for inclusion on the Register. Local planners confirm 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 former cottages 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.