Description

Duncan MacMillan, 1875; 20th century additions to rear. 2-storey and basement, 3-bay, rectangular-plan villa. Tooled coursed grey granite with contrasting light grey granite dressings, finely finished to margins at NW elevation; Aberdeen bond granite rubble to remainder. Rough-faced granite basement; base course; long and short quoins and dressings; projecting cills; eaves course; overhanging eaves.

NW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: symmetrical; pilastered doorpiece to centre of ground floor, with deep entablature; flight of splayed steps flanked by walls with lamp standards leading to doorway; 2-leaf panelled timber door with letterbox fanlight; single window to 1st floor above. Canted 3-light windows to basement and ground floors of flanking bays to left and right, forming balcony to 1st floor; bipartite windows to 1st floor above.

SW ELEVATION: central gablet; 2 windows to basement floor, window to centre of ground and 1st floors.

SE ELEVATION: centre bay obscured at basement and ground floor by glazed corridor link to modern addition; segmental-arched stair window to 1st floor above with fine stained glass, window openings flanking; 3-light canted windows with piended roofs through basement and ground floors of bays to outer left and right, windows to 1st floor above.

NE ELEVATION: central gablet; 3 windows to basement floor, and porch reached by flight of steps down to basement; single window to centre of 1st floor.

Predominantly 2-pane timber sash and case windows. Gabled grey slate roof with lead ridges. Corniced gablehead stacks with octagonal cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: fine interior; much of skirting boards, mouldings, architraves and cornicing survives, doors predominantly replaced with modern equivalents. Tiled entrance floor; panelled inner door with fine stained-glass upper panels and fanlight; panelled entrance hall, with pair of timber fluted Corinthian columns flanked by pilasters supporting deep floreate cornice; caryatid brackets to arch leading to staircase; dog-leg stair with turned balusters and panelling below dado, panel mouldings to walls above; stained glass stair window; arches leading to flanking rooms. Heavily textured wallpaper to principal room to E of ground floor, panelled frieze above; Jacobean panelled timber ceiling with gilded timber paterae; Ionic pilastered timber fire surround with panelled and glazed overmantle. Rich plaster mouldings and cornice to principal room to W of ground floor; neo-classical timber fire surround.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: square-plan granite ashlar gatepiers to NW (shared with adjacent properties), corniced with shallow pyramidal caps; low coped rough-faced granite walls between; granite and brick coped rubble walls to remainder.

Statement of Interest

From the beginning of the 19th century Aberdeen rapidly expanded westwards from Union Street. 13 Queen's Road is part of the later 19th century development W of Queen's Cross. Queen's Road is on the site of Skene Road, which was originally surrounded by the estate of Rubislaw. In 1877 Rubislaw Estate was bought by the City of Aberdeen Land Association, who re-aligned the road and sold off the estate in smaller plots. Streets became wider and villas with substantial gardens often replaced terraces. Prestigious architects, such as Duncan MacMillan, were often employed to produce bold and unusual designs to reflect the wealth and individuality of the clients. The client in this case was John Strath. 13 Queen's Road is part of the earlier block of villas on Queen's Road, between Queen's Cross and Queen's Gate. Despite the traditional exterior, the interior of 13 Queen's Road is exceptionally fine. The columned entrance hall, highly decorative mouldings, fireplaces and wallpaper in (the E room) are particularly noteworthy. Currently in commercial use.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17780009

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  For the Record
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Staffordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)