Description

Late 18th century core, addition of E and W wings 1811-2, further additions by MacGregor and Miller, 1863-4 and 1879. Asymmetrically-grouped Scottish Baronial style, 2, 3 and 4 storey house. Predominantly whinstone with sandstone features and dressings. Some string courses; crowstep gables.

S (GARDEN) ELEVATION: 3-storey and attic 18th century building visible off-centre, tall gable chimney stacks with skew and skewputt to W gable. 3 windows to each floor, dormers (1863-4). Semi-octagonal

window bay (1863-4) to left with tall pyramidal roof and dormer. Continuous stone balcony to right at 1st floor level (1863-4). 2-storey 4-bay wing (1811-2) to left with 3-storey gable end bay. 4-storey gabled bay to outer right (1811-2) with 2-storey canted window bay (1863-4), semi-circular headed window to gable.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 3-bays; gabled bay to centre and lower bay to outer left (1811-12) and taller 4-storey tower (1863-4) to outer right. Advanced porch to outer left, architraved doorcase, coat-of-arms above. Bay to right also advanced but set back slightly from porch, tripartite window, single storey conservatory above at 1st floor screening tripartite window with semi-circular headed central transom. Similar tripartite windows to right and left outer bays.

Pedimented dormerhead window to outer left. Round-head window to gable of centre bay. Tower corbelled at 2nd floor, balustraded parapet, turret (1879).

N ELEVATION: massing of tower and turret to outer left, strongly modelled crowsteps to tower gable. Rear of later 18th century house set back to right, semi-circular stair window to centre. 2-storey wing to right with gabled end bay.

Timber sash and case windows with variety of glazing patterns relating to architectural development of house including 12-pane, 2-pane and 4-pane windows. Some casement windows. Grey slate roof with

fishscale slates to roof of 1879 turret and semi-octagonal bay on S elevation. Some cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: not seen.

Statement of Interest

The 18th century house was built by Lachlan MacLean of Torloisk some time before 1784. It replaced an earlier residence built around round three sides of a square, part of which was retained as offices until demolished in 1811. His daughter Marianne MacLean Clephane who was a friend of Sir Walter Scott carried out alterations in 1811 which included the internal remodelling of the house and the erection of the kitchen wing. Her daughter Margaret married Lord Compton in 1815,

subsequently 2nd Marquess of Northampton. Following her death in 1840 the house passed to successive members of the Compton family.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Torloisk House at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17771293

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

• 
  Berkshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Essex: Buildings of England Series (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Bedfordshire, Huntingdonshire, and Peterborough (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)