Description

Thomas MacKenzie, 1846-7, additions Alexander Reid (A and W Reid), Elgin, 1865. Rainwater goods dated 1847 and 1865. Picturesque turreted castellated mansion, mainly of 3 storeys over raised basement with SW garden front and NE entrance elevation. Coursed rubble, tooled and polished ashlar dressings.

Asymmetrical NE front with entrance fronting square 3-storey tower and masked at ground by substantial porte-cochere, itself with large Gothic traceried window and angle turrets. Main outer ranges terminate with angle turrets rising above wallhead and with projecting library window at left of main entrance; 2-storey service range and service court linked to main frontage by single storey, 4-bay block; 2 17th century Duff armorials re-set in wall of service court.

Picturesque 7-bay SW garden front somewhat regularised in 1865 by raising W portion to 3 storeys. Advanced centre bay with projecting canted window rising 2 storeys above raised basement; shallow Tudor- arched lintels to raised basement windows in SW and NW elevations; hoodmoulded 1st floor fenestration; square or horizontal multi-pane glazing. One drum and one corbelled octagonal angle drum-tower.

Hoodmoulded ground floor fenestration; corbelled and crenellated wallheads; batteries of tall coped stacks; slate roofs.

INTERIOR: double-leafed studded entrance door with applied Gothic detailing leading to octagonal vestibule with lierne ribbed ceiling and central boss, angle niches under cusped canopies; glazed door to stair hall with cusped detailing and cusped fanlight. Also entrance left to billiard room.

STAIRHALL: top lit under 3-storey tower. Broad staircase with cusped moulded wooden balustrade; compartmented boarded ceiling with armorial bosses.

LIBRARY: white marble chimneypiece; later cast-iron grate; later 19th century bookcases.

DRAWING-ROOM: cusped panelled dado, doors, window shutters all white painted with gold detailing. Very unusual white and gold wallpaper (1847) reproduced and replaced 1988; cusped panelled white marble chimneypiece; decorative plaster ceiling.

BOUDOIR (between drawing- and dining-rooms): small octagonal room with surviving 1847 white and gold decoration; panelled fittings as in drawing-room.

DINING-ROOM: green and gold painted cusped panelled dado, doors; shutters; monogrammed doors; original Celtic scrolled wallpaper (1847); decorative plaster ceiling; French windows to garden (later enlargement of window).

1ST FLOOR LANDING: arcaded landing surrounds open central square balustraded void (under tower), each side supported by paired Tudor arches with Tudor rose motif in spandrels.

Statement of Interest

Castle built by Admiral Archibald Duff at cost of $10,000, 1846-7.

The vestibule and stairhall pay striking homage to those at Taymouth Castle, the influence on Drummuir appearing to be direct.

Upgraded: B to A, 24.3.88

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17568136

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

• 
  Hertfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)