Description

Dated 1702; with small later/late 19th century addition; restored by Simpson and Brown, 1999. 2-storey and attic; rectangular-plan with single storey outbuilding added to NE. Laird's house with symmetrical double-fronted principal (SE) elevation and crowstepped gables with beaked skewputts. Harled rubble with sandstone dressings; single storey addition of coursed sandstone rubble. Flush chamfered architraves to windows.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: central entrance with roll-and-hollow moulded architrave surmounted by datestone with '17 MS.IM.BG 02' (the intials of John McLachlan and probably his wives) in embossed letters; studded timber door (1999 replica of original); heraldic panel above; depicting the McLachlan coat of arms (including lion rampant and salmon naiant) surmounted by crest. Flanking windows to ground and 1st floors. Later/late 19th century single storey outbuilding adjoins to right; entrance to oute right.

NW ELEVATION: ground floor window to right of centre. Window to right of 1st floor. Later 19th century single storey outbuilding adjoins set back to left.

NE ELEVATION: later/late 19th century single storey outbuilding projects to left of ground floor. Window to right and one above. Small attic window to right of gable end.

SW ELEVATION: blank gable end. Walled garden adjoins to either side (see separate list description).

4-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof (single pitch corrugated iron roof to single storey outbuilding). Coped gablehead stack to either side (SW and NE); cans missing.

INTERIOR: retains original layout with 2 rooms to each floor flanking central staircase (straight flight of wooden stairs). Large segmental-headed fireplace to ground floor SW room (original kitchen) with early wrought-iron fire grate. Original roll-and-hollow moulded fireplace surround to upstairs NE room. Original front door (comprising 2 layers of timber planks - set vertically to outside and horizontally to inside - studded with wrought-iron nail-heads and with original latch, lock-mounting, knocker and crook-and-band hinges) retained as feature to kitchen wall. 6-panel timber internal doors (recorded by RCAHMS 1952) presumably still intact. Retains most of its original roof timbers (largely jointed and pegged and bearing carpenters' marks) and majority of original sarking boards.

Statement of Interest

According to The National Trust for Scotland's 'Draft Statement of Cultural Significance' (Judith Anderson, 1997), 'a very early artisan interpretation of the symmetrical classicism which succeeded 17th century Renaissance styles...it is of exceptional significance in understanding the development of Scottish vernacular architecture'. Also it is unusually intact for a building of its date and retains a high proportion of its original fabric (including practically its entire roof structure). Archaeological investigation has shown that it was originally constructed as a T-plan house with a full-height rear wing, which was demolished in around 1800 (the current kitchen window on the NW side was originally a door into this wing). At the same time the other windows had their bars removed and their cills cut down by approximately 5cm or more (thought to have been to accommodate new sash and case windows). Also the 2 1st floor rooms were reconditioned with plasterwork and some panelling. Further reconditioning of the interior was carried out in about 1886, when new woodwork was installed and wall plaster replaced or added. The original ground floor flagstones are also thought to have been removed at this time and replaced with an early form of concrete and a brick partition wall was inserted to the NE side of the stair at ground floor level and a brick supporting substructure erected underneath the staircase. At around the same time the single storey outbuilding to the NE was erected (it first appears on the 1898 OS map). The house was built for John McLachlan, whose family had owned the lands of Auchentroig since 1394. Not long after its erection (in 1710) it was raided by Rob Roy MacGregor, who kidnapped John McLachlan and his son and and stole his cattle (records show that his family subsequently paid a ransom of ?100 for their safe return). The original front door (now on display in the kitchen) is said to have been set fire to by Rob Roy during this raid. Thus the house (and especially the door!) is further of interest on account of its historical associations. The McLachlans subsequently built a new and larger house to the E. It is not known exactly when the first of these was constructed (one appears on the 1865 OS map) but it is thought that Old Auchentroig probably declined in importance around 1800. The last of the McLachlan family (William) died in 1884 and the property was sold to Colonel Ewing Crawford, who built the present Auchentroig in 1903 (and was responsible for its remodelling in the late 1920's following a major fire). In 1965 both houses were bought by St Patrick's Missionary Society. Having lain largely unused for many years, it was decided to restore Old Auchentroig (under the National Turst for Scotland's Little House Improvement Scheme) in the late 1990's. See separate list descriptions for 'Walled Garden' and 'Auchentroig'.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17576339

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

• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Bristol (Pevsner Architectural Guides: City Guides)
• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990