Description

Circa 1850's (see NOTES), large gabled shooting lodge/country house

with baronial turrets at angles. Long rectangle on plan, main block 2-storey, with lower single-storey and attic wing to E/NE, projecting slightly to form L-plan at entrance (NW) front. Grey sandstone stugged and snecked rubble masonry, droved ashlar dressings. Sequence of plain bargeboarded gables over projecting bays of main house block, and smaller bargeboarded gablets to dormer headed windows. Single and bi- and tripartite mullioned windows; series of projecting canted windows at ground floor to S/SE elevation, overlooking River Tay. Plate glass sash and case glazing, window frames with moulded horns, shorter upper sashes 1/3, taller lower sashes 2/3 in height; also leaded casement. Large number of original blind boxes. Slated pitched roofs, and tall axial ridge stacks. Timber bracketted overhanging eaves and timber corbel course at eaves and timber corbel course at eaves below slated conical roofs of turrets, apices decorated with lead flashings and iron finials. ENTRANCE (NW) ELEVATION: single-storey parapetted Baronial porch to right in front of gabled bay, parapet pierced to either side of sculptural armorial shield set in raised segmental arch over centre; vigorous Scottish Renaissance style masonry scroll and obelisk finials over outer, rounded angles of porch; telescoping 3-stage turret to left; modern slate-roofed single-storey addition further left in NE re-entrant angle.

Short, SW ELEVATION: 2 symmetrical gables with canted windows projecting at ground floor flanking large mullioned and transomed stair window at centre; telescopic 3-stage turret to left. Stair window with leaded casement windows. RIVER-FACING (SE) GARDEN ELEVATION: symmetrical 5-bay gabled elevation, 2-storey with gabletted dormers; single-storey and attic wing to right. Canted baywindows at ground floor of centre and right-hand gabled bays step down to terraced garden, which has some ornamental masonry vases.

E WING: 2 parallel single-storey and attic wings, with crowstepped gables, chimneybreasts and stacks running through centres of symmetrical E gables, modern link in between; crowstepped dormer-headed windows to SE.

INTERIOR: several extremely fine white marble chimney-pieces at ground and 1st floors, of various styles, and other with variegated coloured marble/scagliola slips, all with original cast-iron grates, fire-backs, fenders and fire-irons. Entrance hall/outer hall: white marble, neo-Greek chimneypiece, with reclining nymph bas-relief carving on centre tablet of frieze, Greek scroll key decoration, brass fender. Inner hall (in front of stair): white marble chimneypiece with fluted astylar columns, tapered below; timber staircase with twist balusters. Drawing room (ground floor): vigorously detailed neo-Rococo white marble chimneypiece inBrycian manner with large scrolling leafed consoles, set at canted angle, and swirling scallop at centre of frieze, white marble fender; compartmentalised Jacobethan style ceiling (ornamental plasterwork embellishment removed - see REFERENCES, NMRS photo), and decorative frieze. Dining Room (opens on to terrace): walls divided in panels, and subdivided by Ionic pilasters framing chimney piece at centre of N(NW) wall: fire surround of white marble, with detached Ionic column stiles with canted volutes, corniced shelf, Roman mythological scene (Androcles and the Lion in centre tablet, flanked by garlands, very fine brass fender, grate, rails with large acorn finials, and cast-iron splayed fire-back.

Statement of Interest

House not listed in 'Directory of Seats &c in Scotland' until 1857.

Set in designed landscape, main avenue to N(NW), and secondary avenue to W.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Ballathie House at Wikipedia
• Ballathie House official website
• Wikidata IDs Q17844506 Q4851555

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

• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Oxfordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  [(Cumberland and Westmorland)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1967)
• 
  Listed Buildings and Other Heritage Assets