Description

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

Striking late Victorian (1890s) single-storey and attic, roughly rectangular-plan multi-gabled Free-style house with Baronial 4-storey L-shaped crenellated tower to the NW. An adjoined single storey and attic piend-roofed service wing is set to the SE. Reputedly built as a holiday home, the house has an interesting plan taking full advantage of its scenic setting above the Garbh Uisge river just below the Falls of Leny. The viewing platform to the tower and large canted windows to the SE ground floor offer dramatic views across the river. Although some accommodation is provided in the attic and tower, the majority of accommodation is provided to the ground floor including a number of reception rooms (drawing room, smoking room, dining room) and bedrooms. The interior of the ground floor is on a grand scale, being well preserved, including timber panelling throughout. The house has an interesting plan, detailing, dramatic setting and good road-side presence along the A84 road.

An advanced gabled entrance lobby with balustraded steps is set to the centre of NW elevation, the entrance door in the re-entrant angle has a roll-moulded architrave. The NW entrance and NE roadside elevations are dominated by the 4-storey tower; arranged with a single room to the 1st floor and 2nd floor, and serviced by a narrow turnpike stair. The main tower is canted to the NW with the stair housed in a setback section. The stair tower rises a level above the majority of the tower enabling access to the viewing platform behind the parapet. The NE road-side elevation is relatively plain with a number of irregularly fenestrated single storey gabled bays, a large buttress rising to mid-height is set to the near centre. A 20th century garage is set adjacent to the right outerbay. The elevation is terminated to the left by the single storey and attic service wing. The 5-bay principal SW elevation is set slightly raised up from the terrace running its entire length. A balustraded series of steps and terrace lead to French doors giving access to the former smoking room. A large 5-light canted window with piended roof to the left outerbay lights the drawing room. A 3-light canted window, with piended roof and finial, is set on the angle, it lights the dining room. The wall head to the off-centre breaks the eaves with

an M shaped gablet. Obscured behind the gablet is a dormer window, this gives light to the former billiard room. Originally the billiard room was the only room to be housed in the attic of the main part of the house. The attic was converted in the later 20th century creating further accommodation, (including changes made to the former billiard room) the large central cupola remains. The service wing is substantially setback to the outer right of the SW elevation. It is characterised by its piend-roofed bipartite dormer breaking eaves windows and swept eaves. The window to the swept roofed outshot to the SE has a large dormerhead detailed with skewputts and a carved thistle finial. The back door is situated to its right. Materials: squared, snecked rubble with raised long and short quoins and stop-chamfered window margins in polished red sandstone ashlar. Mainly timber sash and case windows with plate glass to lower sashes and predominantly 9-pane glazing to upper sashes, some modern uPVC glazing to tower fenestration. Corniced stack with red clay can; brick stack with red clay can to service wing. Deep eaves with moulded bargeboards to gables. Grey slate roofs to gables, large lead flat roofed section with flashing to main section of house, grey slate piended roof to service wing. Predominantly cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative semicircular hoppers.

Interior: ¾-glazed timber-panelled inner door with cusped upper lights opening onto inner lobby with mosaic floor. Central corridor/hall runs through house, opening out to top-lit principal hall at end. Half-panelling and dentiled cornices to lobby, central corridor, hall and some principal rooms. Timber-panelled shutters to principal rooms. Timber-panelled doors throughout with moulded doorframes and black door handles. Narrow turnpike stair rises through arch from hall to tower bedrooms and former billiard room.

Statement of Interest

The owner believes that the house was built for a Mr Johnston who was a financial advisor to a ship builders in Glasgow. It is also believed that the house was internally modernised in the 1940s, this included the loss of some original chimneypieces and grates, replaced by polished steel electric fires. The garden surrounding the house is arranged with a long strip of land (possibly 1 ½ acres including the land the house stands in) running between the road A 84 and Garbh Uisge river. It is organised with a number of terraces and a large lawned area to the SE. There is a small island to the river with access from the garden provided by a timber and steel bridge with central concrete pier, probably dating from the 1930s. The bridge is in poor condition after recent bad weather, 2004.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77778614

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

• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire: York and the East Riding (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)