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House Of Schivas

Country House (16th Century)

Site Name House Of Schivas

Classification Country House (16th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Schivas House; House Of Schivas Policies; Shivas

Canmore ID 19755

Site Number NJ83NE 30

NGR NJ 89708 36781

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/19755

Ordnance Survey licence number AC0000807262. All rights reserved.
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Administrative Areas

  • Council Aberdeenshire
  • Parish Tarves
  • Former Region Grampian
  • Former District Gordon
  • Former County Aberdeenshire

Recording Your Heritage Online

House of Schivas, c.1585 or slightly earlier, Thomas Leper. Lands originally held by Scheves family, a succession of owners has wrought many changes and additions. Remarkably complex with some of the massing of Barra, but many

links in plan and details to Tolquhon (eg triple gunloops). A lofty, L-plan, with square stairtower and a stair-turret in the re-entrant - for George Gray, fourth laird. North-east wing added, 1750, by Forbeses; 1780, main block extended to west; before 1851, north wing built by Irvines of Drum; 1900 burnt; 1902 rebuilt, A G Sydney Mitchell (executed James Cobban);

from 1931 much internal work, A H L Mackinnon; 1934-7 restored, Fenton Wyness, Scots 16th-century style for first Lord Catto of Cairncatto, a Buchan loon turned merchant banker. Wyness remodelling very effective in unifying the various surviving fragments; in particular the courtyard wall and jewel-like gatehouse are admirable. Plasterwork of great hall by Mitchell, modified by Wyness; that of drawing room, also by Mitchell.

Taken from "Aberdeenshire: Donside and Strathbogie - An Illustrated Architectural Guide", by Ian Shepherd, 2006. Published by the Rutland Press http://www.rias.org.uk

Archaeology Notes

NJ83NE 30.00 89708 36781

NJ83NE 30.01 NJ 89710 36670 Burial-enclosure

NJ83NE 30.02 NJ 89753 36944 Mains of Schivas

NJ83NE 30.03 NJ 8975 3680 Gardener's Cottage

NJ83NE 30.04 NJ 8949 3718 North Cottage

NJ83NE 30.05 NJ 8986 3694 East Cottage

NJ83NE 30.06 NJ 8919 3665 West Lodge

NJ83NE 30.07 NJ 8994 3647 South Lodge

NJ83NE 30.08 NJ c. 897 367 large sundial

NJ83NE 30.09 NJ 89602 36702 Walled garden

NJ83NE 30.10 NJ 8962 3682 Mary Gray's Tree

For bronze sword, stone weight, stone hammer and stone balls found nearby, see NJ83NE 9, NJ83NE 25, NJ83NE 27, NJ83NE 38 respectively. For possible barrow ('Priest's Grave') and cairn, see NJ83NE 28 and NJ83NE 29 respectively.

(NJ 8970 3678) Schivas (NAT)

Mary Gray (NAT)

Burial Ground (Disused) (NAT)

OS 6" map, (1959)

The House of Shivas, a 16th century house built on the L-plan, now incorporated into a modern mansion. Its shot-holes are of particular interest.

The burial ground, a private one belonging to the house, dates from about 1770.

'Mary Gray' is a plane-tree said to have been planted by, and named after, a daughter of the family who built Schivas from whom it passed first to the Forbeses then to the Earls of Aberdeen, and it is now the residence of Lord Catto.

J F Wyness 1929; N Tranter 1962-70.

House of Schivas (information from Notice Board) in good condition and still occupied. Built by Gilbert Gray about 1560 according to Wyness. According to recent expert opinion (Forestry Commission staff) the tree 'Mary Gray' cannot be as old as the tradition says.

J F Wyness 1943; Visited by OS (AA) 26 February 1973.

Architecture Notes

House of Schivas, c. 1585 or slightly earlier, Thomas Leper. Lands originally held by the Scheves family, a succession of owners has wrought many changes and additions. Remarkably complex with some of the massing of Barra, but many links in plan and details to Tolquhon (eg. triple gunloops). A lofty L-plan with square stair-tower and a stair turret in the re-entrant - for George Gray, fourth laird. NE wing added (1750) by Forbeses; 1780, main wing extended to W; before 1851, N wing built by Irvines of Drum; 1900 burnt; 1902 rebuilt, A G Sydney Mitchell (executed James Cobban); from 1931, much internal work, A H L Mackinnon; 1934-7 restored, Fenton Wyness, Scots 16th-century style for first Lord Catto of Cairncatto, a Buchan loon turned merchant banker.

Wyness remodelling very effective in unifying the various surviving fragments; in particular the courtyard wall and jewel-like gatehouse are admirable. Plasterwork of great hall by Mitchell, modified by Wyness; that of drawing room, also by Mitchel.

I Shepherd 1994.

NMRS REFERENCE

House of Schivas

Prescuttings, photographs and letters from 1st Baron Catto to J Fenton Wyness, Architect, concerning their restoration of House of Schivas 2/4/1932 - 12/11/1942. Includes a miniature sketchbook by J Fenton Wyness 9th May 1903 with a sketch survey of Lorimer's Craigmyle House, 1902.

Passed to NMRS per Mr CT Burnett, The National Musems of Scotland, 1986.

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