Description

Later 18th century; later alterations and additions of various dates, including that which is dated 1870. Extensive yacht club with private flats, consisting of later 18th century 3-storey, irregular 6-bay house, with paired 2-bay gables to harbour, and later 19th century, 2-storey with attic breaking wallhead, roughly 3-bay house to NW with earlier block joined to rear; overlooking harbour on ground falling away to SW. Rubble with tooled ashlar margins. Circa 1965, single storey, glazed sun parlour running full-width of paired gables, with yacht racing judges' box at SE.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION:

18TH CENTURY SECTION: irregular SW elevation; single storey outshot to left, with blocking course; oriel window at 1st floor, off centre to right; 2nd floor windows set close to eaves; pair of pedimented windows breaking wallhead to right. NE elevation consisting of pair of 2-storey, 2-bay gables; left gable with blocked openings and full-height brick stack with chamfered ashlar string courses; right gable with entrance to left and basement window to right; further single storey gable to outer right linked to paired gables by later 19th section, with stepped wallhead.

19TH CENTURY SECTION: roughly symmetrical elevation to SW; pedimented and finialed windows breaking wallhead; window 1st floor to returns; 2-storey gabled block to left and set back, with bipartite opening. Raised section fronting elevation to form veranda.

Predominantly 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows. Pitched, grey slates roof; straight ashlar skews. End and ridge stacks, some with moulded 18th century copes and circular clay cans; substantial additional brick gable stack at E; varied roof heights, all slated. Some iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: (seen 2013). Principal rooms retaining decorative classical scheme, characterised by intricate plasterwork and mantelpieces. Panelled timber doors. Ground floor room of 18th century block now bar; red marble and carved timber mantelpiece, broken-apex pedimented doorpieces with foliage pattern to frieze, well-detailed cornice with similar foliage pattern set below acanthus leaves; oval plaster ceiling rose; timber window shutters. Later subdivision. Private flats to upper floors.

BOUNDARY WALLS: tall, rubble walls with chamfered ashlar copes enclosing yard to SE.

Statement of Interest

Multi-phased property, incorporating vernacular fisherman's cottages and retaining well-detailed 19th interiors, prominently positioned overlooking the harbour. The 18th century additions to the property, particularly the roughly symmetrical elevation facing the harbour and the interior decoration, are suggestive of a property of some prominence and status in the village.

The 1st edition Ordnance Survey map depicts the paired gable block and the single storey gabled block to the N. These blocks, orientated with the gable ends facing the harbour, are typical of later 18th/early 19th century seatown design. The 2nd edition illustrates that these two separate wings have now been linked, and the 3-storey block facing the harbour and the 2-storey gabled section to the N have been added.

In the seventeenth century Findhorn was the principal seaport of Moray, and one of only two natural ports along the shore of the Moray Firth. Vessels regularly sailed to and from all parts of the North Sea and as far as the Baltic Ports. Changes to the narrow and shallow entrance to Findhorn Bay created obstacles to navigation and as the size of trading vessels increased so the volume of trade to the village declined. During the nineteenth century fishing predominated, and with the arrival of the railway in 1860 the village developed as a holiday resort with marine leisure facilities.

Competitive sailing commenced in the 1920s and annual regattas were held. Findhorn Yacht Club was founded in 1929 by James Chadwick (the first Commodore) and other dinghy sailors. Chadwick's home was used as the club's meeting place and continues to be the clubhouse.

The history of yacht clubs and sailing as a competitive sport has its origins in Ireland in the mid 18th century. Interest in the sport gathered pace in Scotland throughout the 19th century and was flourishing by the early 20th century. Scotland is world renowned for its waters with its wealth of coastal inlets, firths, fresh and saltwater lochs, rivers and canals, appealing to competitive and recreational sailors.

List description updated as part of the sporting buildings thematic study (2012-13).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17827144

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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