Description

Dated 1888-92 with later additions and alterations. Asymmetrical 2-storey, 6-bay, gabled house with 3-storey, square-plan entrance tower off-set to left of centre; engaged, 2-storey, octagonal-plan tower off-set to right; single storey passage linking taller, single storey, T-plan block to outer left (former dance hall). Coursed and bull-faced pink/cream sandstone to principal block; ashlar dressings. Stepped base course; overhanging timber bracketed eaves; decorative bargeboards with tapering timber finials. Entrance tower with moulded string course dividing ground and 1st floors; rope-moulded eaves course; decorative brattishing to cornice. Ashlar quoins throughout; long and short surrounds to chamfered openings; sandstone mullions; chamfered cills. Whitewashed harl to single storey passage and taller block to outer left; ashlar dressings. Turbine house (former) to N. Irregular-plan walled garden to SW. Entrance gate to SW.

SW (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: entrance tower off-set to left of centre with steps to deep-set, part-glazed, 2-leaf timber panelled door centred at ground; plate glass fanlight; segmental-arched, roll-moulded surround; single windows in both bays at 1st and 2nd floors. Gabled bays recessed to left and right of tower with bipartite windows centred at ground; single windows at 1st floor. Engaged octagonal-plan tower off-set to right of centre with single windows centred at ground and 1st floors; panel dated '1892' beneath eaves; surmounting spire and wind-vane. Gabled bay projecting to right with bipartite window centred at ground; single window at 1st floor. Single window at ground in bay recessed to outer right; gabled dormerhead to single window breaking eaves above. Single storey range to outer left with glazed passage adjoining principal block to right; taller block to left with bipartite window in gabled bay projecting at centre.

NW (SIDE) ELEVATION: 3-bay principal block with squat single window at 1st floor off-set to right of centre; single windows flanking at ground; gabled dormerheads to single windows breaking eaves above. Projecting single storey range adjoined to outer right.

NE (REAR) ELEVATION: symmetrical 3-bay range to right with glazed door centred at ground; 3-pane fanlight; gabled dormerhead to single window breaking eaves above; flanking gabled bays with canted windows centred at ground; single windows aligned above. 3-bay range recessed to left with modern conservatory off-set to right; gabled projection off-set to left; gabled dormerheads to single windows breaking eaves in all 3 bays above. Adjoining single storey range recessed to right with pointed-arched openings in 2-bay passage to left; large, part-glazed, boarded timber opening with 3-pane fanlight centred in taller block to outer right.

Plate glass timber sash and case windows to front; predominantly 15-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows at rear. Grey slate roof; platformed pyramidal roof to entrance tower with rope-moulded flashing; octagonal spire to engaged tower; decorative brattishing to single storey passage. Corniced sandstone ridge stacks; circular cans. Iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: not seen 1999.

TURBINE HOUSE (FORMER): single storey, 2-bay, rectangular-plan former turbine house. Coursed and bull-faced sandstone; ashlar dressings. W ELEVATION: single openings in both bays. S ELEVATION: gable end with single window at centre. Roofless; corniced stack. INTERIOR: not seen 1999.

WALLED GARDEN: irregular-plan, enclosed walled garden (approximately 1,500m?) to SW of house. Coped walls enclosing site comprising heavily-pointed rubble to outer elevations; red brick inner linings. Remains of greenhouse to N; no remains of formal layout (1999).

RAILINGS, BOUNDARY WALLS AND ENTRANCE GATE: hooped iron railings partially enclosing site to NE; coped rubble walls to remainder. Gabled entrance gate to SW with pointed-arched vehicular opening to left; carved mask (possibly St Ebba) surmounting gablehead; 2-leaf iron gates; square-headed pedestrian opening to right; single iron gate.

Statement of Interest

An imposing, well-detailed house, prominently sited upon 'Black Craighead'. A photograph published by Thomson shows a glazed verandah/greenhouse originally adjoined the front of the entrance tower. It also shows the tower's platformed roof as having had decorative brattishing, and the single storey block (former dance hall) to the outer left as having had windows in both its outer bays. The turbine house originally generated electricity using water from the nearby waterfall. The former stable block to the S has been converted into residential use and is now owned separately.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17848005

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.

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