Description

Peter Macgregor Chalmers, 1896-7 (wing to west), with 1904 addition linking J B Wilson, Son & Honeyman, 1939 wing to east. U-plan former marine station, comprising pair of 2-storey, 8-bay gabled wings with linking 2-storey, 6-bay section. The building is situated on the south-east coast of Great Cumbrae and overlooks the sea to the mainland. Red and cream squared sandstone rubble with band courses to the south gable elevations. Large Diocletian (semi-circular) windows to the upper storey of the south gables, set in recessed round-arches and facing the sea.

Roofs with concrete tiles and synthetic slates and with red ridge tiling and raised shouldered skews. Non-traditional large rooflights to the 1897 building. Some timber casement windows. Predominantly non-traditional replacement windows.

The interior was seen in 2014. The room on the upper floor of the 1897 building is a library and has an open timber roof with corbels. Decorative metal balusters and a timber banister to the stair. There is a 1953 aquarium within the building. Some part-glazed doors.

Statement of Interest

The Field Centre at Millport pioneered the science of Marine Biology and is one of the two earliest permanent marine stations in Scotland, with the original section opening in 1897. Facing the sea, the building emphasises its continued relationship with it. There are some decorative features to the building, particularly in the round-arched Diocletian windows to the gables and the main elevations of the building have had few additions or extensions since the building of the later wing in 1937. Internally, the building has some interesting features in the open timber roof and the retained timber doors and staircase.

The study of marine science became popular over the course of the 19th century as people became increasingly interested in marine life and by the end of the century, there were permanent marine stations in most countries in Europe and in North America. In Scotland, the first permanent research station opened in 1884 and was in a boat called The Ark, which was moored in a flooded quarry in Granton, near Edinburgh. The boat was fitted out as a floating laboratory by Sir John Murray and it formed the Scottish Marine Station for 12 years. The Ark was moved to Cumbrae in 1885 and a number of leading scientists visited it. David Robertson, an amateur naturalist based in Cumbrae, wanted to establish a more permanent station at Millport and the current building was opened in 1897. It originally had a residence for the curator on the ground floor, had a large water tank and contained a museum upstairs. The other permanent marine station, The Gatty Marine Laboratory at St Andrews opened its building in 1896.

The commission for a non-ecclesiastical building for Peter Macgregor Chalmers (1859-1922) was unusual for the successful Glasgow-based architect whose work almost exclusively consisted of churches in the west of Scotland.

On 21 July 1904, the Scotia, the ship from the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, landed on Cumbrae and over the course of the 20th century, significant research was carried out at the station. To accommodate the increase in research activity the station was extended in 1904-5 with a 2-storey extension to the north east, forming an L-plan building. This had an aquarium on the ground floor and a classroom above. A separate curator's house was also built to the immediate south of the original building.

When further facilities were needed, another 2-storey wing, similar to the original building, was opened in 1939. At this time, the museum was moved to its present position on the ground floor, and the library was moved to the upper floor of the 1897 block. In the 1950s there were more general improvements to the building and the aquarium was completely altered and renovated in 1953.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77782516

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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