A coaching inn dating from Laurencekirk’s planned expansion recalls the High Street’s role in long-distance travel before the railway.
Quick facts
- Date
- Circa 1770 with nineteenth-century alterations
- Architect / designer
- Designer unrecorded; commissioned within Lord Gardenstone’s planned town
- Type
- Former coaching inn and hotel
- Designation
- Listed building, Category C (LB37230)
- OS grid reference
- NO 71868 71575
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
The two-storey street building has a long, low elevation, regularly spaced openings and restrained traditional detailing. Later alterations record adaptation from eighteenth-century coaching traffic to changing hospitality needs.
Its story
Established around 1770 during Lord Gardenstone’s promotion of the town, the Boar’s Head Inn later became known as the Gardenstone Arms Hotel. Nineteenth-century work altered the early building.
Why it is included
Category C listing recognises one of the planned town’s key commercial institutions, linking its built frontage with coaching, lodging and the estate-led creation of Laurencekirk as a service centre.
What to notice
- The long frontage addressing the High Street.
- Regular upper-floor windows above former public rooms.
- Subtle changes that reveal later alteration.
Reading the surroundings
View from the public pavement and keep doors, loading space and neighbouring properties clear. Do not assume the former inn is open, and respect residents, businesses and traffic on the High Street.
Timeline
- 1759 Lord Gardenstone began promoting Laurencekirk as a planned industrial and commercial settlement.
- Circa 1770 The Boar’s Head provided food, drink and lodging for road travellers.
- 19th century Alterations accompanied the building’s later identity as the Gardenstone Arms.
- 1972 National listing protected its contribution to the historic High Street.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The checked evidence does not establish an active hotel or public house today, and internal survival has not been inspected.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Former Gardenstone Arms Hotel, LB37230 — Current designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Trove designation: LB37230 — Parallel national record identity and archival context.
Location
OS grid reference NO 71868 71575 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; the public text separately states access and any current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
Suggest a marker correction
Suggest a more accurate position
The teal marker is the current published position. The orange marker starts slightly to its right so both remain visible; this is only a visual starting position. Tap the correct place on the map or drag the orange marker. Sending this form creates a private review entry only; it does not move the published marker.
Check this area in Google Maps Choose the Satellite layer there if useful.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. You can also enter checked coordinates below.