Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

Dated 1875, Trossachs Primary School was built as a schoolroom with adjoining schoolhouse, to replace the original school built by the SSPCK in Brig O'Turk in 1719. Although the school has been extended and the interior modernised to facilitate educational needs, the original architectural character of the building, typical of the size and style built in the villages of the Trossachs at this time, has been largely retained.

The original school and house complex had a T-plan layout, the schoolroom forming the vertical jamb with the adjoining house across the top. The principal elevation (facing SW) is multi-gabled, using these gables to make a clear distinction between schoolroom and schoolhouse. The schoolhouse occupies a large 2-bay advanced gable to the left, whilst the 3-bay schoolroom set back to the right has a symmetrical hierarchy of 3 smaller gables, and a stepped façade. The gables have plain bargeboards, supported on carved decorative timber brackets, whilst the projected eaves has plain timber brackets.

The schoolhouse has a doorway to the right-hand side to its advanced gable front, with a stepped, banded hoodmould framing an ashlar plaque that is dated 1875. The window surrounds of the house have a thin tooled margin, stop-chamfered at the sides, with stugged, long and short ashlar to the outer surrounds. The side (NW) elevation originally had a 2-bay, symmetrical glazing pattern, the bays set to the far left and right of the elevation with gabled wallhead, breaking eaves dormers and a window below at ground floor. This pattern has been upset by the addition of a later window in the middle (off-centre left) at ground floor. The overhanging eaves of this elevation have plain brackets, and a tall, shouldered and capped wallhead chimney sits to the left of the right-hand dormer. The gabled rear elevation of the house is plain, but for a single window at ground floor and a later lean-to shed. A timber, pitch-roofed porch sits to the left of this gable, in the return between schoolhouse and school. Another dormer window sits above this porch, looking SE along the roofline of the adjoining school. Internal access to the schoolhouse was not obtained at the time of resurvey (2005).

The principal elevation of the school originally had only 2 gabled bays. To the centre is a small early 20th century addition projecting to the SW, the lean-to roof returning to the main eaves of the building. A gabled, timber boarded wallhead dormer raises the window level inside, and forms the 3rd gable at the centre of the main schoolroom elevation. Set back from this office are 2 tall, breaking eaves gables, 1 to either side of the later addition. Each bay has a segmental archway to the centre, with 2-light segmental-arched windows inset. To each side of these bays the wall is again stepped back. This SW elevation of the school originally provided a formal entrance to the school. The segmental archways now infilled, once held separate 'Boys' and 'Girls' entrances, whilst the central office had a doorway to the right return which today is stone infilled with a small window. This doorway may have replaced the two original entrances when the aforementioned extension was added in the early 20th century, and has a decorative splayed and banded surround with a projecting stylised keystone. Conversion of the school for modern educational needs has drastically changed the internal layout and circulation through the building, and the entrance is now through a security door on the SE elevation of a flat-roofed 1964 addition to the rear of the school. Previous to this extension, the gabled SE (side) and NE (rear) elevations were unused, other than for a large transom and mullioned window on the side elevation. The rear of the school is now largely obscured by the mid 20th century extension, leaving only 2 windows of the original NE elevation in place, to the right of the extension.

Internally, only the curved timbers of the original braced arch roof structure remain in place, corbelled from the mid-height of the wall on decorative brackets. There are 6 bays of these arches, however only the bottom section of these timbers are visible today as they are hidden by a false, panelled ceiling dating from the early 1990's, installed after a fire in the school. The condition of these timbers above the false ceiling are unknown.

Materials

Squared whinstone and sandstone rubble to principal elevation; tooled and stugged ashlar dressings; random rubble to sides and rear. Lined mortar courses to principal elevation; heavily pointed to sides and rear. Timber bargeboards and brackets. 4-pane, timber sash and case windows to schoolhouse. PVCu single and 3-light windows and doors to school. Pitched roofs; grey slates to schoolhouse; modern (late 20th century) grey and purple slate to school. Ashlar, capped stacks; conical, capped, tapered cans (20th century) to schoolhouse; stack to school blocked.

Statement of Special Interest

Trossachs Primary School, built in 1875, replaced an earlier school that lay to the SE of this building (now a private dwelling). The school provides education for children from Brig O'Turk and the surrounding Loch Venacher and Loch Achray areas. The school and schoolhouse are now in separate ownership, with only the schoolhouse retaining its original glazing. The school was damaged by fire in the early 1990s, resulting in the school being re-roofed, however the adjoining schoolhouse escaped any significant damage.

References

Bibliography

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.