Description

Unified composition in 2 distinct building phases. 3-storey and attic, 6-bay hotel and bank with French 2nd Empire detailing. 1st phase to E, 1871-2, 3-bay with 5-stage tower; 2nd phase probably David Rhind, 1874, 3-bay. Bull-faced ashlar with polished ashlar dressings, some raised, channelled pilaster strips, those to outer angles surmounted by finialled dies. Deep base course, dentilled dividing course, bracketted 1st floor cill course, dentilled and mutuled eaves cornice and blocking course. Round-headed door and windows, lugged architraves, keystones and pilastered stone mullions.

S ELEVATION: ground floor of penultimate bay to right with keystoned pilastered round-headed doorcase and consoled balustrade, modern door and semicircular plate glass fanlight, single window to outer right and regular fenestration to each floor above, windows to 2nd floor with decorative cast-iron balconettes, those to attic with segmental-headed dormers. Tower (see below) off-centre right. Ground floor bay to outer left with steps up to deep-set 2-leaf panelled timber door with deep plate glass fanlight and adjacent cast-iron night safe box to right, windows to centre and right bays, latter altered for cash dispensing machine; 1st floor with balustrade on 4 consoles giving way to arcade of 3 pilastered and keystoned windows united by consoled semicircular pediment at centre, similarly-detailed single outer windows (appearing to extend arcade) each with triangular pediment. 3 small windows to 2nd floor and 3 pedimented dormers detailed as 1st floor but not arcaded or finialled.

TOWER: 1st stage with door and window flanking deep corbel giving way to 2nd stage with aproned canted window extending into to 3rd stage and surmounted by cast-iron brattishing; single 4th stage window below cornice and blocking course with ball-finialled outer angles and semicircular-pedimented centre dormer breaking into crested pavilion roof with broad stacks to returns; open-domed metal rooftop cap (modern?).

E (HILL STREET) ELEVATION: angled bay to outer left with 2 windows each to ground and 1st floors, blank 2nd floor giving way to dominant wallhead stack. 6 symmetrical bays beyond to right with largely regular fenestration; slightly advanced centre tower bays rising to 5-stages with pavilion roof and centre dormer as above.

Plate glass glazing in timber sash and case windows. Grey slates. Cavetto-coped ashlar stacks with cans. Decorative cast-iron roof ridge brattishing.

INTERIOR: hotel interior retains some good traditional decorative details. Decorative and plain plasterwork. Timber dog-leg staircase with square newels and turned balusters, and early cage lift; timber fire surrounds. Stair window with leaded multi-pane glazing and decorative margins. Interior of banking hall with some dado panelling and thistle detail to keystoned doorpiece.

Statement of Interest

The original Drummond Arms Inn dated from the eighteenth century, and it was here that Bonnie Prince Charlie held his last council of war on 6th February, 1746, before defeat at Culloden. In 1731 James Drummond, third Duke of Perth, began repair of the totally ruined town of Crieff, it having been burned by 350 Highlanders on 26th January, 1716. His work included laying out James Square, extending the town westward and founding a large linen factory. Groome continues "The old Drummond Arms ... has been feued to the Commercial Bank of Scotland, and premises for the bank and a large hotel have been built".

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17836683

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

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  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)