Description

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

Asymmetrical, 2-phase, multi-gable large rambling mansion set close to the banks of the River Teith. The original house was built by William Burn in 1835 for Baronet J M McGregor of McGregor. In the late 19th century the house suffered a bad fire, re-cast and enlarged in the early 20th century in the restrained Baronial style we see today, 2004. It is rectangular in plan with a basement, 2 principal storeys and various attic levels. The principal SE elevation is dominated by the impressive SW tower with its tall turreted stair tower, and the squat turret to the NE with its oversized cap. The rear NW has a rather austere nature with the lawn stepping down to reveal the basement level. The house is surrounded by its designed landscape, a formal lawned area is set to the rear NW with a woodland area further to the N. The parkland to the far north is now occupied by a caravan park and is in separate ownership, 2004. Although being built by one of Scotland's most eminent domestic architects William Burn, it was largely being rebuilt in the early 20th century.

The original house was rectangular in plan, composed of 2-storeys and a basement. Some semblances of it can still be discerned, however the majority has been engulfed in the rebuild scheme of 1902/1903. The smart porch to the principal elevation has a 1903 dated heraldic shield above its opening. After the fire the left end bay of the principal elevation was refashioned and raised a storey incorporating a heavy parapet to create a tower in the Baronial style, it is suspected that the 1835 re-entrant stair turret to correspond with this was raised a stage. The original proportions of Burn's house are discernable when looking at the side SW elevation. The high principal floor and much narrower 1st floor are typical in scale of a Burns composition. It is suspected that the attic floors above were added at the time of the rebuild with a large carved armorial panel set to the tower. Also added as part of the rebuild phase of the SW and NW elevations was the crow stepped attic giving the building a rather top heavy feeling. The NE wing with its bipartite windows and squat terminating turret dates entirely from the rebuild scheme. To the wing's rear, it sits slightly recessed against what appears to be the quoins of Burns's original building. Its side NE elevation has a very informal/free appearance with 2 horizontal 1st floor windows set close to the eaves. A pair of windows below the gable to the right are defined by a corbelled table motif. Below this at the basement level is a single storey outshot with a steeply pitched crow stepped gable, the surrounding area is the servants' courtyard with a range of stores located to the retaining wall to the SE.

Interior: mosaic flooring to threshold, vestibule and cloakroom in white, yellow and green; tendril patterning with heart motifs and sprigs, 'welcome' inscribed to threshold. The interior is relatively plain without elaborate cornice work; however some good early 20th century door furniture remains including beaten copper finger plates. The large hallway has an impressive stained timber well stair; shaped balusters and geometric detailing to underside. It is thought that the stair is original to Burns' design, however relocated to 90 degrees at the time of the 20th century alterations. The library which is located to the ground floor of the tower at the S has built-in bookcases with the monogram J & W. The very large drawing room is located to the rear and is lit by the canted windows to the SW/NW and a full-length window to the NW. Originally there was probably a balcony and steps to the full-length window giving access to the lawn. An open Tudor style pointed arch gives access from the main hall to a living hall with a Lorimer-style plaster cornice. Beyond this is a billiard room housed in part of the NE wing. The basement is comprised of former servants' quarters including the former kitchen. The servants stair is located in the NE wing and gives access to a number of timber lined servants' rooms to the 1st floor.

Materials: coursed, squared 'pudding stone' with snecked 'pudding stone' to NE wing. Yellow stugged sandstone dressings. Timber plate glass windows with horns. Beaked skewputts to gables. Various grey slate pitched roofs. Pudding stone gable and ridge stacks, some have recently been repaired with a cement render (2004). Cast iron rainwater goods, some with decorative hoppers with Art Nouveau motifs.

Statement of Interest

It is interesting to note a hill to the nearby S acts as a natural boundary with the walled garden and former home farm situated behind it, currently unlisted 2004.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q56615049

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

• 
  Period Property Manual (New Ed)
• 
  Department for Communities Listed Historic Buildings of Northern Ireland: Information Guide for the 2nd Survey of Historic Buildings
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Gwent/Monmouthshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Wales)
• 
  Suffolk: East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)