Description

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

1780, traditional 2-storey, 3-bay former inn with adjoining 2-storey single bay former stableblock. Set slightly back from the street, Ardvulan is situated on the Main Street of Gartmore, a planned estate village laid out by the Grahams of Gartmore House in the 18th century. The land was feued by Robert Graham to Thomas McGilchrist, a flax dresser from Drymen, who built the house. Unlike most of the houses in Gartmore, it was originally conceived as a 2-storey house, with an 18th century circular wheel stair (another is Murray House, also listed). Although it has lost its slate roof, it is still one of the best surviving examples of a relatively unaltered house in the planned village. As an inn, it played a prominent role in the social history of Gartmore and has good streetscape and historical value.

Principal (SE) elevation with central 20th century porch supported by timber columns flanked by bipartite windows to ground floor, 3 single windows above. The former stableblock adjoins to the right, with a large 2-leaf door to pend on ground floor and single window above. The stableblock is attached to Blythswood (not listed, 2004) to the NE. To the SW, there is a narrow alley between the blank side elevation of Ardvulan and Hazel Cottage (not listed 2004).

The 4-bay rear (NW) elevation comprises the former stable block advanced to left and various openings to rear wall of house, including 20th century French windows. The stableblock originally consisted of stabling to the ground floor with an ostler's room and hayloft above. It was converted into domestic accommodation in 1980s and the ground floor is now used as a garage and storerooms with a large living room occupying the whole 1st floor with large Venetian window to rear.

The house underwent a major refurbishment in the 1960s, when the slate roof was replaced with concrete tiles, the ground floor window openings on the street elevation were enlarged and the 20th century porch added.

Interior

In plan, Ardvulan originally had 2 rooms on each side of the central staircase. To left, the front room served variously as a kitchen and shop, while the room to right originally served as the public bar. The timber circular wheel staircase is set within a circular stone well and has shallow timber treads and mahogany handrail. Modern mahogany panelled interior doors are copies of the originals. Some plain cornicing to principal rooms, some tongue and groove panelled wall divisions. Timber working shutters to 1st floor windows.

Materials

Whitewashed with raised margins. Timber panelled front door, large timber 2-leaf door to pend. Predominantly 4-pane timber sash and case windows. Pitched roof to house, piended roofs to stable block and porch. Concrete roof tiles to house and porch; graded grey slate to former stableblock to rear. Coped ashlar gable-head stack to SW gable, coped ashlar ridge stack to NE end of house and rendered gable-head stack to Stableblock. Bargeboards to (SW) gable.

Statement of Interest

The inn was called The Vulcan, possibly due to existence of a smithy on the site, and operated until 1930. There is an old postcard of Gartmore showing The Vulcan, looking very similar to how it does now. It is not clear whether it was built as an inn. It appears on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map (1859-64), as a rectangular building, without the large stableblock to the rear, and it is not marked as an inn. It appears as a 'Hotel' on the 2nd edition OS map of 1898-1900, with a considerable court of buildings to the rear. The Vulcan was one of two inns in Gartmore (the other is the Black Bull, see separate listing).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77778646

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 Care and Repair
• 
  Harrow on the Hill: A photographic portrayal of listed buildings and structures (Historic Buildings Picture Guides)
• 
  Historic Environment Law: Planning, Listed Buildings, Monuments, Conservation Areas and Objects by Harwood, Richard (2012) Paperback
• 
  Warwickshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  The green guide for historic buildings: how to improve the environmental performance of listed and historic buildings