Hi there again. Sorry to have been bringer of bad news about the building! Yes, the pre-fab is still there and still occupied. I don't know them, but my friends along the road would. I am Ali Campbell and I actually live in Aberdeen. We have no family roots in Banffshire, but we own a cottage there - Lagganvoulin - about a mile along the road from Delachule. The old maps show that the original Delachule was on the left hand side if travelling down the military road from Tomintoul to the south (so the pre-fab is not on the actual site, but across the road from it). The Roy Military map (1700s) actually shows it on the far side of the River Conglass as well as the road, but most of the other old maps show it inbetween the river and the road. If you search for Moray SMR on the web, and put in Delachule it will take you to a record NJ11NE0054. This was results from a survey of all the old ruins in the area in the early 2000's and it describes what the farmstead would have been. I am busy tracing the family/ies that lived in Lagganvoulin and working out how they lived, inter-married and had children with all the different houses nearby, and also what took them to move away. It is fascinating. If you need help with finding old maps etc let me know, but the National Library of Scotland is great (once you get the hang of it). Moray Heritage may also give you free access to maps. Our cottage has its own website which has internal pictures which may give you an idea of how a cottage would have looked. It also has photos taken very locally -
www.lagganvoulin.co.ukIf your Shaws were RC they would be in the RC graveyard in the village. My old families will probably be in Kirkmichael cemetery to the north of Tomintoul, although later ones might be in the village itself. I haven't looked yet, but we are up in a week or two so I will hope to drag the kids around! Alexander Shaw is certainly listed as tenant at 'Dellachoul' from at least 1855 (paying £17 rent annually), until 1915 when he was paying £18. In 1925 and 1930 it says the rent is payable by the 'Reps of Alexander Shaw'. By 1930, the rent was down to £10 and 10 shillings. I will try the news articles later when I have time to see if I can find out when the fire was, and my neighbour up there may know, as it was her who told me about it. My only link that I can see with Delachule (to Lagganvoulin) is the illegitimate birth of James Steward on 31st July 1834 - to William Stewart of Lagganvoulin, and Betty McGregor of Delashlule. James seems to have been brought up as a Stewart at Lagganvoulin. Not sure what happened to Betty, or who she was.
What I am really keen for is to stumble on some old photos of the cottages in the area, or their inhabitants. The museum in Tomintoul is going to be under renewal soon (or is already) so I may have to wait before I can approach them to trawl their stuff! I will keep you in mind as I continue my search for local history!
Ali