Description

Mansion; Alexander Ross, 1884-91. Some interior decoration by
John Kinross. Large, 2-storey and attic, asymmetrical,
roughly T-plan mansion, with long elevations west and south,
1 small tower and 1 prominent French main tower in south
frontage; triangular rear service court enclosed by single
storey, semi-circular range of game larders fronting steep
cliff. Sneck coursed tooled ashlar rubble, much of it
fronting concrete core, tooled ashlar dressings, rendered
rear elevations facing service court.
West entrance front, L-plan, with shallow pointed-headed
archway in NW passing under billiard room into rear court.
4-arched arcade in centre of west elevation, an idea adapted
from earlier house, as entrance loggia, leading to principal
ashlar in re-entrant angle. Round-headed, moulded and
stop-chamfered doorpiece; double leaf linenfold panelled
door.
Irregular south front with bipartites and tripartites in
ground floor; slender square angle tower rises near centre
with steep pyramidal roof; elevation terminants at SE with
substantial square 5-storey tower with steep pyramidal slate
roof with decorative cast-iron ridge brattishing.
Large piended dormers, mainly with tripartites, in south and
west elevations; hoodmoulds to some windows; mainly 2-pane
glazing.
Glazed canopy runs full length of south front, returning for
short length across west gable; cast-iron columns with
chevron moulding and with decorative paired brackets.
Tall batteries of ashlar stacks with decorative copes;
particularly tall wallhead battery rises from SE tower.
Slated roofs, with some lead flats and with various glazed
rooflights.
Interior; richly decorated principal public rooms. Main
entrance leads to lobby, and then to large stair hall with
handsome wide stair; coffered ceiling in hall and 1st floor
landing; panelled stairwell; richly carved scroll 17th
century patterned baluster with polished handrail; square
newels with urn finials. Carved and pedimented doorpieces
lead to public rooms through double leaf panelled doors.
Drawing room; raised and field panelling divided by slender
panels with carved swags; marble chimney piece with
decorative cast-iron grate with matching moulded swags in
side panels; coffered plaster ceiling.
Further public room in SW (library) with carved chimney piece
and decorated cast-iron grate; decorative coffered ceiling.
Dining room with marble chimney piece and plaster ceiling.
Clock tower; to rear of house, on cliff edge, tall square
5-storey clock tower of 1856-66. Rubble with contrasting
tooled ashlar dressings. Entrance in north elevation. Giant
angle pilasters rise to string course defining 5th storey,
and linked at lower stages by corbelled courses. Round-headed
windows with decorative lights, in 1st and 2nd floors of
south elevations; clock face with cable moulded surround;
3-arched arcaded upper storey (blind at rear) with
round-headed arches with blocked imposts. Tall pyramidal
slate roof with cast-iron finial (roof altered and raised in
1884-91).

Statement of Interest

Present mansion is second Ardtornish Tower on site the

smaller (1856-66) having been demolished in 1884 to make way

for larger house. The clock tower dates from earlier period.

Mansion of 1856-66 built by Octavius Smith, (possibly

designed by Alexander Ross of Inverness) and the present

house by his son, Valentine.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17574906

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)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)