Doors Open Day, Aberdeenshire: Fasque

A week after Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire celebrated its annual Doors Open Day today.

One of today's rare public openings was the house at Fasque, in the South of Aberdeenshire near Fettercairn, which has associations with the Gladstone family.

When we first moved to the North East back in 2002, Fasque was open to the public regularly throughout the summer. However, when we eventually got around to planning a visit, we arrived only to discover a sign at the gates saying that regular public openings had ceased, and it was only open by appointment to pre-arranged parties of 12 or more - and as a wedding venue!

So it was with some delight we read on the Doors Open Day website that Fasque would be open today.

Today turned out to be a day of almost ceaseless autumnal rains up here, but we set off undaunted late morning - and what a treat it turned out to be!

The house has just been bought by a new, entrepreneurial owner, who was around to greet visitors and talk freely about his plans for Fasque and its surrounding policies. We were free to roam around the bare shell of the house, to see the works in progress on the fabric and to imagine what once was, and what one day might be.

This shot is taken looking up into the ceiling light at the top of the grand staircase in the centre of the house, and shows the engineer employed by the new owner leading a friendly guided tour of the building.