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Kilnmaichlie House

Tower House (16th Century)

Site Name Kilnmaichlie House

Classification Tower House (16th Century)

Alternative Name(s) Kilnmaichlie Tower

Canmore ID 253761

Site Number NJ13SE 6

NGR NJ 18133 32080

Datum OSGB36 - NGR

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/253761

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

  • Council Moray
  • Parish Inveravon
  • Former Region Grampian
  • Former District Moray
  • Former County Banffshire

Accessing Scotland's Past Project

Kilnmaichlie House stands in woodland on the west bank of the River Avon, about 1.4 km north of its confluence with the River Livet. The place name is depicted on Robert Gordon's mid-seventeenth century map of Strathavon.

A sixteenth-century L-plan tower-house on this site came to be incorporated into a late eighteenth or early nineteenth century farmsteading. The steading stands about 100m south-west of the farmhouse, and is depicted on the 1976 1:10000 Ordnance Survey map.

According to the 1st edition of the Ordnance Survey 6-inch map of Banffshire (1872), a mill-dam, sluice and mill lade lay to the north of the farm buildings, but by the 2nd edition 6-inch map (1904) the mill was in disuse and only the dam is shown.

Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project

Accessing Scotland's Past Project

Kilnmaichlie Tower stands in woodland on the western bank of the River Avon, about 1.4km north of where the River Livet meets the River Avon. The place name is depicted on Robert Gordon's mid-seventeenth-century map of Strathavon.

Today, the site of Kilnmaichlie appears to be occupied by a late eighteenth- or early nineteenth-century farmsteading. However, the square stair-turret which projects from the rear of the farmhouse with a crowstepped gable may have been part of the original L-plan tower-house, dating from the sixteenth or early seventeenth century. A rubble-built outbuilding near the entrance to the farm may be contemporary with the tower-house.

Built into the side of the farmhouse is a small circular metal plaque. The image of the phoenix rising from flames can be seen above the legend: 'PROTECTION'. Such plaques can often be seen on buildings of similar date in towns and cities, and indicated that the building had fire insurance.

Text prepared by RCAHMS as part of the Accessing Scotland's Past project

Archaeology Notes

(NJ 1805 3200) Kilnmaichlie (NAT).

OS 6" map, Banffshire, 2nd ed., (1905)

Kilmaichlie was originally an oblong tower of 16/17th century date, but has been altered and enlarged.

D MacGibbon and T Ross 1887-92.

Only the tower in the centre of the present 2 - storeyed building is original. The S end has been added, but the single storey N outbuilding may have been part of the original. (Information from Mrs Meldrum)

Visited by OS (R L) 25 August 1966.

Site Management (22 September 2008)

L-plan tower house extended later to N to form tall rectangular E facing dwelling with stair tower projecting off-centre in E front and terminating above wallhead in small caphouse. Modern grey harling; tooled granite margins and dressings. Original entrance blocked; present entrances in S gable and E front, both masked by late 19th century timber porches. Windows of varying size form regular pattern both front and rear; pair diminutive attic windows light caphouse of stair-tower; 3 small slit vents in rear; small attic light in each gable; 12-pane glazing. End stacks with circa 1700 copes; Banffshire slate roofs.

Crowstepped gables; mask skewput to caphouse, and also at SE angle just below wallhead. Early 19th century wing of 2 builds projects from N gable. Harled rubble with segmental headed archway; 2 doorways and irregular fenestration. (Some circa 1987)

Sir Walter Stewart held Kilnmaichlie in 1490 (great grandson of Robert II). The property was subdivided into two farm cottages in the 18th century through to the 1980s, as part of the Ballindalloch estate. (Historic Scotland).

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