Description

Attributed to Alexander McGill, 1714-16. 2-storey over raised basement, rectangular-plan, 7-bay classical country house flanked by single bay, finialled ogival-roofed stair towers and single storey over raised basement, 4-bay pavilions. Pink coursed rubble, grey-green at E pavilion, originally harled, ashlar dressings, piended slate roof. Cill course to basement, moulded string course to ground floor, rusticated quoins, margined windows, margined angles and band course at wallhead to pavilions and rear stair towers, corniced eaves course to main building. Originally 12-pane sash and case windows, taller at principal floor, 6-pane to basement. Rebuilt corniced, harled and channelled ridge stacks.

S ELEVATION: slightly advanced and raised 3-bay pedimented gable to centre; doorway to centre approached by steps, moulded doorcase, segmental pediment with decayed ornament, window to left and right; 2 windows to basement; 3 segmental-headed windows to 1st floor with festoons above; arrangement of arms at pediment flanked by oculi. 2 windows to ground and 1st floor main elevation left and right. Slightly recessed stair tower bays to left and right, window to basement, ground and 1st floor (window to left ground floor cut down to door approached by steps, basement window blocked). Advanced pavilion to left and right; 4 windows to basement and ground floor, 2 blocked windows to basement, 1 window and 1 blocked window to ground floor right and left returns.

E ELEVATION: (pavilion) door to basement, 2 windows to ground floor.

W ELEVATION: (pavilion) arrow slit ventilator and bipartite window to basement, 2 windows to ground floor.

N ELEVATION: central pedimented bay and flanking bays as S elevation, 2 windows to basement, ground and 1st floor left and right returns; stair towers recessed to left and right, window to basement, ground and 1st floor (later linking section at 1st floor re-entrant, right; pavilions further recessed to left and right in mirror image, pavilion to left consisting of 4 bays, ogival-roofed hexagonal stair tower second bay from right (tower to left is round, corbelled to hexagonal at basement), 4 windows to basement and ground floor. Alterations to right pavilion ground floor; various other window and door alterations. INTERIOR: totally reconstructed.

Statement of Interest

Gray House was built by the 10th Lord Gray whose family had owned Fowlis estate and Castle from the 14th century to 1667-9, (see NOTES to Fowlis Castle, Fowlis Easter Parish). The Benvie estate was purchased by the Grays in 1713, the house and estate being sold in 1918 when Gray House was purchased by James Ogilvie and lived in by him until his death in 1936. The house was unfinished in 1723 (perhaps the east pavilion) according to Macky. The house is presently (1992-3) undergoing restoration, its condition having suffered through various protracted incomplete restoration schemes. Simpson refers to Darnaway Castle, Moray Muniments and Gray of Kinfauns MSS as documentary sources. The inclusion of Gray House in Adam's publication has led to repeated attributions to him.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17575359

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

• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Sheffield and the South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The Listed Buildings and Other Principal Structures at the Royal Gunpowder Mills Waltham Abbey
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Lancashire: Liverpool and the South-West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)