皇家野餐小屋丨Moxon Architects

Architect：Moxon Architects

Location：Mar Lodge, Ballater, UK; | ;View Map

Project Year：2024

Category：Heritages;Visitor Center

A picnic cottage enjoyed by Queen Victoria when holidaying in Balmoral has been restored to its former glory by Moxon for The National Trust for Scotland.  The project will preserve the building for future generations to enjoy and engage with its history and the surrounding landscape.

Located amongst native woodland on the Mar Lodge Estate National Nature Reserve near Braemar, Britain’s largest National Nature Reserve, the project has saved the lodge from Scotland’s Buildings at Risk Register. The cottage is Moxon’s first completed building for Mar Lodge, as part of a wider programme of planned works for the Trust to secure the long-term future of the estate’s buildings through restoration and renovation. 

Built around 1850, the single-storey granite cottage is Category C listed with timber framed roof trusses and remnants of historic harling to the external stonework. It is a rare example in Scotland of the use of larch roof shingles and timber twig detailing on the three primary dormers.

Moxon has worked to restore the cottage using local materials, sourcing timber shingles through a local contractor to blend with historic original features and the local landscape. In addition to repairing the fabric of the building, the architects have sympathetically reinstated the wooden covered entrance porch to the exterior of the property, an original feature of the cottage discovered through historic survey drawings during archival research for the project.

Moxon has also re-installed 12 pane timber sash and case windows, complete with a new timber front door to match existing timber details, making the cottage both watertight and accessible. Structural repairs carried out include repointing external and internal stonework with lime mortar and harling on the cottage walls. Steel conservation rooflights have been fitted on the rear elevation of the building to maximise natural light entering the bothy.

Internally, timber flooring has been laid over the solum on new floor joists, as well as repairing and replacing existing hearth stones where required. The existing timber roof structure has been sanded and hand-oiled for an exposed, dark-timber oil finish. Original fireplaces and chimneys have also been restored to working condition. 

Andrew MacPherson, Director of Moxon Architects, said: “As an architecture practice deeply invested in the region's heritage, we have proudly worked with The National Trust for Scotland to preserve a significant piece of local heritage on the Mar Lodge Estate. Our comprehensive survey of the existing structure enabled us to adopt an approach that required minimal interventions while being durable and resilient – something key to the building’s remote location, challenging climate, and role as a visitor attraction. We worked closely with the Local Planning Authority and conservation specialists to successfully balance preservation and modernisation to safeguard the building’s history and ensure its 'fairytale' charm remains intact for years to come.”

David Frew, National Trust for Scotland Head of Mar Lodge Estate, said: “Our archival research and subsequent archaeological survey showed that there used to be a porch on the property, with our archaeologists discovering post holes for the structure during research on site. We have tried to reinstate this sympathetically with the help of our architects Moxon and archival architectural drawings, so that it’s in keeping with the rest of the property and the 19th century period when it was originally constructed. "

"The cottage, built by Princess Louise, the granddaughter of Queen Victoria, around 1850, was saved from disrepair after it was placed on the Buildings at Risk register. The property was in a poor state when the Trust acquired Mar Lodge Estate in 1975, and subsequent works had taken place to stabilise its condition including fixing walls and installing a new roof and shingles in the past. The building is a fascinating look back at how the royals used to spend their free time and we’re incredibly proud to see it restored to how it was in its heyday when Queen Victoria and the royal family would holiday in Balmoral."

“We’re excited to welcome visitors to experience the new cottage when it officially reopens in 2025 where they will be able to engage with its history. New information boards will be added, and specially commissioned furniture created where they can relax and immerse themselves in the surrounding woodland and nature.” 

NTS will officially open the cottage to the public in 2025. The restoration project has been made possible by funding from the NTS USA Foundation. 

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