Description

Mid 19th century. Symmetrical 3-storey, 10-bay hotel forming part of terrace with French-pavilion-roofs at centre, outer left and right; shops at ground. Painted render to 1st and 2nd floors; raised, painted margins. Raised base course; architraved cornice at ground; architraved cills at 2nd floor; corniced eaves. Architraved surrounds to corniced openings at 1st floor (consoled at centre); architraved surrounds to 2nd floor openings; stylised hoodmoulds above shoulder-arched pedimented dormers; decorative cast-iron brattishing surmounting towers. Cast-iron lampstands to front; marble plaque set on ground between.

N (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 2-leaf timber panelled door at ground off-set to right of centre; decorative floor tiling; "Hotel Victoria" set in frame to front; surrounding consoled doorpiece comprising flanking columns, plain frieze, advanced cornice. Single shop at ground in 2 bays to outer right; 4 shops in remaining bays to left. Projecting windows at 1st floor in bays to outer left and right; regularly fenestrated in remaining bays at 1st and 2nd floors (blind windows at both floors off-set to left and right of centre). Pedimented tripartite dormer at centre; single dormers in 2 bays to left and right of centre; bipartite dormers in bays to outer left and right. Oeil-de-beouf window set in central French-pavilion-tower; smaller towers to outer left and right; cast-iron brattishing.

LAMPSTANDS AND PLAQUE: decorative lampstands to front of hotel entrance comprising splayed base, foliate detailing, round-arched pyramidal caps, surmounting crown finials. Stone base beneath marble plaque inscribed "Hotel Victoria."

Modern glazing at ground; predominantly 2-pane timber sash and case windows; 6-pane upper, plate-glass lower glazing to projecting windows. Graded grey slate Mansard roof; fish-scale detailing to towers. Corniced wallhead stacks flanking centre; octagonal cans; corniced apex stack to E; various circular cans; coped apex stack to W; cans missing.

INTERIOR: not seen 1996.

Statement of Interest

A grand and unusual building forming part of a sea-front terrace unified by scale and colour (the majority of this stretch has been painted cream with a pale green highlighting the raised margins). Despite alterations at ground, some interesting features remain - note the consoled windows, French pavilion towers, cast-iron brattishing and columnar doorpiece. The original lampstands and decorative floor-tiling add to the overall prominence.

Rothesay is one of Scotland's premier seaside resorts, developed primarily during the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and incorporates an earlier medieval settlement. The town retains a wide range of buildings characteristic of its development as a high status 19th century holiday resort, including a range of fine villas, a Victorian pier and promenade.

The history and development of Rothesay is defined by two major phases. The development of the medieval town, centred on Rothesay Castle, and the later 19th and early 20th century development of the town as a seaside resort. Buildings from this later development, reflect the wealth of the town during its heyday as a tourist destination, and include a range of domestic and commercial architecture of a scale sometimes found in larger burghs. Both the 19th and early 20th century growth of the town, with a particular flourish during the inter-war period, included areas of reclaimed foreshore, particularly along the coast to the east of the town and around the pier and pleasure gardens.

(List description revised as part of Rothesay listing review 2010-11).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17775956

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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