Leith Hall

Leith Hall is a manor house near the Scottish town of Kennethmont in the Council Area of Aberdeenshire . In 1971 the structure was included in the Scottish monument lists in the highest monument category A. The surrounding gardens as well as West Lodge and East Lodge are separately classified as Category C Monuments. The farm building, on the other hand, is a category B building. The entire property is on the Scottish Landscaping Register . In two of six categories, the highest rating “outstanding” was awarded.

Leith Hall is not to be confused with the nearby Keith Hall .

history

Already since the 13th century, at the time of Alexander III. , the land is owned by the Leith family . At the site there was a fortification called Peill Castle . With the construction of Leith Hall around 1650 this was removed. James Leith, 13th Laird , had the nucleus of Leith Hall built, which is now integrated into the structure as the north wing. In 1756 and 1796 the manor house was expanded, with today's south-facing main facade being built in 1796. Plans from the 18th century show landscaped gardens and other outbuildings. Since the last few were not carried out, it is questionable whether the gardens already existed at that time. Further extensions were added in the early 19th century, 1868 and 1900. During the Second World War , the eastern part of the gardens was leased for growing vegetables. Family-owned since the 13th century, the heiress donated Leith Hall to the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) in 1945 . The manor house and gardens can be visited.

description

Leith Hall stands in the midst of extensive property around 700 m north of Kennethmont. The manor house, which has an approximately rectangular floor plan, has two to three storeys and has stylistic elements from different epochs, reflecting the centuries-old history. The corner tours taken from the Scottish Baronial are striking . On the south side the windows are partly coupled or designed as Venetian windows . The facades of Leith Hall are plastered with Harl .

Other structures

The gardens are north-west of the mansion and are separated from it. Over the centuries, the size and location of the gardens has changed several times. Originally, they were believed to be directly south of Leith Hall. A wall surrounds the gardens. The Chinese moon gate on the north side was built around 1900.

The farm building is on the northeast corner of the gardens. It was built in 1754 and expanded in 1901. The one-story building with a storage facility has rounded edges. The facades are plastered with Harl, with building openings with natural stone surrounds. Gate openings are made with segment arches with keystones . The building closes with a hipped roof .

The West Lodge, marking the western approach to Leith Hall, is located on today's B9002, a historic military road. It is not shown on a map from 1870, but appears on a map from 1900. Therefore, a construction period between these two dates is assumed. The symmetrically constructed, one-story building is three axes wide. Its main facade is decorated with black granite from Aberdeen and frames made of sandstone executed. Rustic columns flank the entrance area. The lodge is located next to the entrance, which is designed as a carriage path with a double-leaf, wrought-iron gate with flanking pedestrian gates.

The East Lodge on the southeast side of the property dates from the mid 19th century. The one-story, L-shaped building was constructed from gray granite from Aberdeen. The gate access is identical to that at the West Lodge.