Game Larder, Ardverikie House, Badenoch and Strathspey, Highland

Description

John Rhind, Inverness, house dated variously 1873-8,

probably incorporating fragments of earlier shooting lodge.

Large irregular 2- and 3-storey baronial mansion with

varied gabled roofline. All grey granite rubble with

contrasting tooled ashlar dressings.

L-plan S front with round-headed entrance in 2-storey

projectilng gabled porch with corbelled detailing over

ground floor. 1st floor bipartite with crest above.

Panelled double leaf door. Variety of gabled bays

terminating in circular and octagonal turrets with boldly

corbelled conical roofs.

Gabled wide 4-bay W garden fornt with projecting canted

outer bays and 5-storey square tower set back at N.

Off-centre entrance within 3-arched loggia with crenellated

balcony above, corbelled turret re-entrant angle, set back

turret at S. Upper crenellated parapets, crowstepped and

brattished caphouse.

2-storey wings N and S, to S possibly part of earlier

house.

Single, 2, 3 or 4-light mullioned windows mainly 2-pane

glazing; decorative cast-iron finials. Wooden gable apex

finials; coped end and ridge stacks; slate roofs.

Walled service court at E entered through round-headed

archway.

Interior; richly decorated interior. Neo-Jacobean inner

stair hall with inset low-relief panels depicting sporting

artifacts. Wide wooden staircase with carved balustrade

and square finialled newels.

Drawing room with carved marble chimney-piece and mirrored

overmantel; panelled dado; panelled double doors with broken

pedimented doorpieces; strapwork plaster ceiling.

Library; panelled; carved wooden chimney-piece with

overmantel flanked by caryatids; inglenook screened by

round-headed arch supported by pair fluted Corinthian

columns; bookshelves delineated by barley-sugar clustered

colonettes. Dining room; ornate variegated marble

chimneypiece with heavy carved wooden overmantel framing

portrait; panelled to cornice height; arcaded plasterwork

cornice.

Billiard room; panelled room with built in bookshelves.

Walled service court at E entered through round-headed archway.

OUTER SERVICE COURT: (setted), to E partially enclosed by single storey outbuildings and single storeyr and loft helm-roofed boathouse/garages block, and by detached single storey and loft symmetrical game larder with gabled centre piece and tall slated ridge fleche. Further detached square GAME LARDER with louvered walls and pyramidal louvered roof stands on mound to N of house by loch-side.

BOATHOUSE ALSO TO N: small rubble L-plan boathouse with double doors to loch inlet (now dried up). Rubble; coped end stack; slate roof.

WALLED GARDEN: coped rubble walled garden; shallow buttresses at regular intervals; arched entrance under stepped coped overthrow with monogram and dated 1939.

Statement of Interest

Commanding site on Loch Lagganside.

Panel on tower inscribed "Burnt 1873 Rebuilt 1874 Finished

1878".

Various other datestones and monograms.

"Very splendid shooting lodge" built by Marquis of Abercorn

c. 1836 destroyed by fire in 1873, though portion of S wing

may date from then. Present mansion erected by Sir John

Ramsden who purchased Ardverikie Estate in 1872. Scant

remains of castle on islet close by.

External Links

Historic Environment Scotland Listing

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.