Description

Main building later 16th century 3-storey L-plan house,

more than doubled in length southwards circa 1620 producing

unified eastern frontage, 9 windows wide with moulded stringcourses at floor levels and 7 tall wallhead stacks in-taken towards top, 5th and 6th ground floor windows architraved and integrated with arched and pilastered niche or bower feature dated 1697, cornice broken by heraldic keyblock set in festoons.

Original north gable twin square pepper-pot turrets linked

by corbelled parapet, 1620 south gable has original mullioned and transomed canted bay of 7 lights, with prismatic roof, one-bay western return with stair tower in re-entrant angle now encapsulated in 1825 additions; jamb of older house on western frontage raised as tower of 5 lower storeys 1620, corbelled stair tower in re-entrant angle and circular angle towers all with ogee roofs, crenellated parapet southern half of frontage adjacent to tower deepened on plan by William Burn 1825, twin crowstepped gables with single storey entrance porch clasped in octagons and mullioned and transomed windows, 5 light windows 1st floor, 2 2-light windows above. South-east range lower 3-storey with dormer heads, segmentally arched transe, ridge stacks, 2 square outshots projecting into court (now linked by 1825 corridor) on north side, 18th century 3-window bow added at eastmost bay on south elevation. Glazing mainly 18th and 19th century small-paned sashes. Courtyard walls (originally 120 ft N-S and 140 ft E-W) only partly survive, but within court Renaissance draw well, 3-stepped base, square plan arched superstructure with panelled podium, Doric columned angles with obelisk finials lettered frieze and open crown top with baluster and urn finial.

Interior: 1st floor painted gallery with timber ceiling 85 ft by 19 ft, high quality plaster ceilings of early-mid 17th century date.

Statement of Interest

House of Abbots of Dunfermline; barony acquired by Alexander

Secton 1596 (created Earl of Dunfermline 1605), died here 1622. Passed to John Hay, 1st Earl of Tweeddale 1688. Purchased by Archibald Hope of Rankeillor and Craighall (Fife), 9th bt., 1778.

Occupied by Loretto School since 1951.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17572120

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

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Nottinghamshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  ENGLAND GUIDE TO POST WAR LISTED: A Guide to Post-war Listed Buildings
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)