Description

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority Auchmar is a cream-pink harled house with bell-cast piends and steep gables, designed by Stewart and Paterson in 1932 for the Duke of Montrose to provide a new, modern family seat as an alternative to Buchanan Castle (see separate listing). The 20th century structure incorporates the buildings of a late 18th / early 19th century farmhouse and steading. The house sits on foothills overlooking Loch Lomond to the SW; to the immediate SW of the house, the site slopes steeply down to the Burn of Mar.

The late 18th / early 19th century farmhouse and steading of Auchmar consisted of a 2-storey, 3-bay rectangular plan SE facing house with a single storey U-plan steading to the rear; a typical layout for Buchanan Estate farms of this period.

The 1932 scheme linked the SW steading range to the original house, forming a service courtyard, and the original house became the service wing. To the SW, a large 2-storey and attic extension provides the principal accommodation. The NW entrance front has a 3-bay recessed section to the left, with a round-arched window lighting the corridor which leads to the service wing; to the right, a projecting gable-end has an offset timber-panelled door framed by a sandstone Doric portico (possibly relocated from another house). The SW elevation has a deeply projecting piend-roofed bay with a square bay window, a gable to centre with an offset square bay window lighting the entrance hall, and a 2-storey square bay window to the right, which lights the drawing room. The large windows, including 2 and 3 light timber-mullioned windows to the upper stories, take advantage of the excellent views over Loch Lomond.

Interior:

Majority of original woodwork and plasterwork remains. Reception hall with near-full height oak panelling with foliate carving and some linenfold panels; stone Tudor-arched chimneypiece; oak stair with turned balusters and newels. Barrel vaulted corridor leading to service wing. Lounge/library with herringbone pattern brick chimneypiece and dentilled cornice. Drawing room with Adam-style timber chimneypiece, egg and dart cornice. Dining room with carved timber chimneypiece with tapered columns and original brick hearth; narrow moulded cornice.

Materials:

Roughcast with narrow stone margins. Pitched and piended roofs with bellcast eaves and graded slates. Timber sash and case windows, mainly 8 and 12 pane glazing. Mainly cast-iron rainwater goods.

Outbuilding:

To immediate NE of house, small single storey rectangular outbuilding with pitched slate roof. Shown on 1st edition OS map 1858-63.

Gates, Gatepiers And Wing Walls:

To NW of house, terminating avenue on axis with entrance portico, ornate wrought-iron gates incorporating dates 1874 and 1924 and initials of the 5th Duke of Montrose, tall square plan ashlar gatepiers, caps obscured by vegetation (2004), flanked by short rubble walls sweeping down to low square-plan piers with pyramidal caps. The gates were presented to the 5th Duke by his tenants in 1924 to commemorate his 50th year as Duke. Just to the NW of the gates are 2 earlier square-plan rubble piers with pyramidal caps.

Statement of Interest

The site of Auchmar has been inhabited for several hundred years; it was the seat of the Buchanans of Auchmar, a branch of the Buchanan family which was established in the 16th century; the principal line, the Buchanans of Buchanan, owned the lands of Buchanan from the 11th century. When the last chief of the Buchanans of Buchanan died in 1682, his lands were sold to his principal creditors, the Grahams of Montrose. The Buchanans of Auchmar then became the principal line but this also became extinct in 1816. Auchmar is believed to have subsequently been sold to the Dukes of Montrose in 1830 (McFarlane, 12).

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17835448

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.

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