Description
Alexander Ross, 1880-81, incorporating earlier house. Large
Scottish Baronial mansion; mainly 2 storeys and attic, with
5-storey tower at east with entrance at base; gabled and
turretted building, all sugged ashlar with finely tooled and
polished ashlar dressings. Imposing east approach, 5-storey
tower with angle bartizans and cap-house, 1st floor oriel and
entrance in base masked by large crenellated porte cochere.
Varied gable frontage to left with slender drum towers flanking
gable with 2-storey canted bay window; further drum stair
tower with square corbelled cap-house. Further gabled wing
with oriel window much decorated with cable moulding. Varied
and gabled south front with canted bay window rising 2 storeys
with richly carved cresting; long circular and square angle
bartizans; projecting gabled and finialled porch with
round-headed entrance. Rear service court entered through
round-headed Crenellated archway. Mullioned windows; mainly
2-pane glazing; corbelled detailing; decorative gablets to
dormer windows; crow-stepped gables; corniced end and ridge
stacks; slate roofs. Terraces; terraces to south and east with decorative stone balustrades; castellated gazebo at SE angle.
Formal garden (Edward Whyte, 1909-10) at east, approached by
further decorative stone balustrades and pair urns on end
piers.
Gate piers; (map ref.NH617743); 2 pairs octagonal gate piers;
tooled ashlar; moulded copes; inner pair flanking carriage gates
support pair heraldic beasts; outer piers with shallow pyramidal
caps; matching carriage and pedestrian cast-iron spearhead
gates; low flanking coped rubble quadrants with crenellated
terminal piers and spearhead railings.