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Summary

Description

Circa 1865, extended circa 1914. Single and 2-storey, irregular-plan house with bowed end walls. Harled and painted walls; plain margins; polished ashlar base and band course, ashlar rybats. Overhanging eaves.

E (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: arched doorway off-centre right, half-glazed storm doors, semi-circular glazed fanlight; advanced bay, central 4-pane window, flanking French windows to left; advanced 4-light bay, 4-pane window to right; small 4-pane window to right.

S ELEVATION: central 2-storey bay: French door to left, paired 4-pane windows to ground floor, tetrapartite bay window to 1st floor, semi-conical roof. Gabled bay to outer left: tripartite window to ground floor, band course, tetrapartite window to 1st floor, plain bargeboards. Bay to outer right: lean-to timber conservatory, central window, door flanking, enclosed returns; piended dormer above.

N AND W ELEVATIONS: irregular mixture of gables and bows housing kitchen, pantry, etc.

Mixture of hinged timber casement windows, 4-pane / 6-pane sash and case, French doors and roof-lights. Dark grey slate piended and semi-conical roof.

INTERIOR: original features existing: tiled mosaic floor; oak parquet floors; wood and carved stone fire-surrounds; ornate cornices; walnut and rosewood doors; slate shelving in larder; stone bins in wine cellar; coomb ceilings to upper floor. Billiard room: 1917, large rectangular gallery, corner open fireplace, coombed ceiling, large 16-pane glazed roof light.

TIMBER SUMMERHOUSE: 1917 (former painting studio of Sir William MacTaggart): rectangular timber studio, verandah; panelled interior.

GLASSHOUSE: rectangular timber greenhouse; integral rainwater tank (houses 100 year old vine).

Statement of Special Interest

The house is part of the Loanhead Conservation Area, overlooking the Mavisbank grounds, and the North Esk Valley. This area was a popular summer retreat with people from Edinburgh, hence the building of these later 19th century villas. This house was owned by the McTaggart family, of whom the most famous was Sir William MacTaggart (1903-1981), the renowned Scottish painter. He was the son of Hugh Holmes MacTaggart (who changed the spelling of the family name), and spent the first 34 years of his life here. He came from an artistic family, his grandfather being William McTaggart, RSA (1835-1919) the landscape painter. Hugh MacTaggart constructed the Billiard Room as a picture gallery to house his collection of his father's work, and latterly William displayed his own work for friends and prospective clients. The timber chalet in the garden was built in 1917 for the 14 year old William to use primarily as a studio. It is now used as a summerhouse. He spent time in Edinburgh, attending the College of Art and exhibiting at the Royal Academy. Although William suffered from ill health, he travelled extensively He took inspiration from the Continental and Scandinavian artists and he was instrumental in bringing Edvard Munch's work to Scotland. He returned to the family home in Loanhead after the death of his parents and friend William Crozier in 1930 and used Hillwood as an exhibition venue again in 1932. He married Fanny Aavatsmark in 1937, then moved to Edinburgh from Loanhead, but he was still regarded as a local celebrity being made a Freeman of Loanhead in 1965. He died in 1981.

References

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