Killean House, Kintyre and the Islands, Argyll and Bute

Entry Name: Killean House

Listing Name: Killean House

Listing Date: 28 August 1980

Category: A

Source: Historic Scotland

Source ID: 344660

Historic Scotland Designation Reference: LB12005

Building Class: Cultural

ID on this website: 200344660

Location: Killean and Kilchenzie

County: Argyll and Bute

Electoral Ward: Kintyre and the Islands

Parish: Killean And Kilchenzie

Traditional County: Argyllshire

Tagged with: House

Description

Original design John Burnet Snr 1876, revised before execution by John James Burnet c.1877-78, completed early 1880s; lower S wing 1907. Large asymmetrical mansion, mixed French, English and Scottish late Gothic and Early Renaissance motifs, 2 and 3-storey main block with lower wings, single storey and 2-storey with dormerheads forming L-plan forecourt facing E and service court to S. Coursed rubble with ashlar dressings. Battered basecourse, crowstepped gables with segmentally pedimented finials at main block. Slated roofs, big stacks with flues demarcated by V-chamfers and deep battered copes.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: crenellated 2-bay entrance tower with marked entasis, crenellated parapet and tall French roof, open timber porch with baluster columns on stone base. 2 mullioned and transomed windows above. Hall-staircase elevation to left, irregular fenestration with monogrammed roundel. Broad circular angle tower with tall conical roof. Single storey service wing at right angles to SE ending in taller pavilion, pyramid roof truncated by louvered ventilator superstructure.

N ELEVATION: circular angle tower on left with simple corbel course at 1st floor level, 3 Georganised windows at ground floor, 3 pedimented dormerhead windows above. Single bay link to gabled section, mullioned and transomed 3-light at ground floor, 2-light above.

W (GARDEN) ELEVATION: canted bay of 1-3-1 lights at ground floor corbelled to square in 2 stages at 1st floor, 3-light 1st floor window, central bay wiht 2-light window at ground floor, low single light above linking to 3-storey angle tower with marked entasis, 3-light windows at ground floor W and S, 2-light on W and 2 single lights on S at 1st, 3 transomed windows on W at 2nd, 4 on W, westmost with bold machicolated-like balcony pierced by quatrefoils at ends only. Elaborately stepped and moulded parapet with waterspouts. Slim angle towerlet at SE rising a storey higher on deep curvilinear corbelling, 2-and 3-light windows with colonnettes at top stage, tall roof clasped by chimney. Half-gable links to lower S wing with 1, 2 and 3-light windows, that at centre 1st with dormerhead, W gable of S wing to

right.

SERVICE COURT: entered by segmental archway with boldly stepped court and ball finial on east, elevations of court simple with chamfered openings and gabled masonry dormerheads, east gable is clasped by twin towerlets with corbelled top stages and pyramid roofs with ball finials.

INTERIOR: hall-staircase largely original, hall is galleried on all sides with convex angles, elegant turned balusters, now painted; interior largely Georganised, drawing room at NW has imported Jacobethan chimneypiece, dining room at SW has an enriched triglyph entablature and consoled chimneypiece, and the circular library in the NE tower has bookcases between the openings.

Statement of Interest

Built for James Macalister Hall of Tangy and Killean, who purchased the estates in 1873 and 1875 respectively. The old house at Killean had stood on the site of the garden cottages and was burned whilst under reconstruction in 1875.

Upgraded to Category A 27 April 1992.

External Links

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