Description

Later 19th century. 2-storey and attic, asymmetrical Baronial former villa, now used as hospital. Square plan comprised of S (entrance) range with circular tower at SW corner, paired wings with valley gutter between projecting N to rear to give U-plan ridge pattern, and additional service wing at NE corner. Stugged ashlar walls to principal (S and W) elevations, roughly squared grey rubble elsewhere, polished ashlar dressings. Base course, string course at 1st floor looping downpipes, string course at eaves. Roll-moulded arrises with chamfered cills to windows. Crowstepped gables.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 4 bays, crowstepped gable to left with 2-storey, 5-light circular tower engaged at corner left; window to each floor of gable, including narrow window in gablehead. Projecting porch with crenellated parapet between bays 2 and 3, approached by flight of 12 stone steps with nosings; round-arched, roll-moulded openings to3 sides, square columns with capitals and bases at W corners, corresponding pilasters to rear, stone soffit. Bay 4, 2-storey canted window, crowstepped gable above, corbelled out from side-lights below, slit window to centre.

W ELEVATION: 4 bays, circular corner tower to bay at outer right, gable with slit window at head over bays 1-3, 2-storey canted window with piended stone roof, in bay 1. Bay 2, tripartite window at ground floor, bipartite at 1st floor, corbel table to gable above. Bay 3, bipartite window at ground floor, corbel table to gable above 1st floor window.

E (DALRIACH ROAD) ELEVATION: gable to left with window in gablehead and to right, ground and 1st floor. 4-bay wing to right; bay 2, small bipartite window at ground, large round-arched stair window above with mullion at centre, transom at springing of arch.

N ELEVATION: M-gabled, windows in gableheads, irregular window pattern elsewhere.

N WING: 2-bay, with tripartite at ground floor, bay 1.

Plate glass timber sash and case windows to principal elevations, 4-pane elsewhere. Graded grey slate roofs, to main block and wing, conical spire with scalloped lead flashing and simple weathervane finial. Box dormer to W elevation with 4-pane timber sash and case window. Bipartite flat-roofed and piend-roofed dormers with 4-pane timber sash and case windows to E pitch. Fielded panelling to 2-leaf door with leaded round-arched fanlight above. Gabled dormers at 1st floor of N wing. Profiled gutters to main block and tower, cast-iron downpipes with decorative brackets and hoppers. Stacks at apex of each gable and centring W ridge, all with string course, cope, and tall octagonal cans to all stacks except for smaller cans to NE.

INTERIOR: glazed door in vestibule screen with fanlight above, geometric tiled vestibule floor, marble chimneypiece, panelled dado and modillioned cornice. 2-arch screen with slender colonnettes to stair. Stair window; armorial and saltire window motifs, mottled coloured glass. SW room; white and grey marble chimneypiece with fluted pilasters, fine plaster cornice.

Panelled and architraved doors throughout ground floor with original brass door furniture, one door with lead-pane glazed panels.

Statement of Interest

Gleneuchar House was bought by the Western Regional Hospitals Board in 1954 and converted into a maternity hospital which opened the following year. This is one of Oban?s finest villas, and survives with most of its details intact, despite institutional use.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17773714

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

• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair by Hunt. Roger ( 2008 ) Hardcover
• 
  Wiltshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  This Old House: Restoring, Rehabilitating, and Renovating an Older House
• 
  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
• 
  Central Leinster: Kildare, Laois and Offaly (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)