Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

Striking late Victorian (1890s) single-storey and attic, roughly rectangular-plan multi-gabled Free-style house with Baronial 4-storey L-shaped crenellated tower to the NW. An adjoined single storey and attic piend-roofed service wing is set to the SE. Reputedly built as a holiday home, the house has an interesting plan taking full advantage of its scenic setting above the Garbh Uisge river just below the Falls of Leny. The viewing platform to the tower and large canted windows to the SE ground floor offer dramatic views across the river. Although some accommodation is provided in the attic and tower, the majority of accommodation is provided to the ground floor including a number of reception rooms (drawing room, smoking room, dining room) and bedrooms. The interior of the ground floor is on a grand scale, being well preserved, including timber panelling throughout. The house has an interesting plan, detailing, dramatic setting and good road-side presence along the A84 road.

An advanced gabled entrance lobby with balustraded steps is set to the centre of NW elevation, the entrance door in the re-entrant angle has a roll-moulded architrave. The NW entrance and NE roadside elevations are dominated by the 4-storey tower; arranged with a single room to the 1st floor and 2nd floor, and serviced by a narrow turnpike stair. The main tower is canted to the NW with the stair housed in a setback section. The stair tower rises a level above the majority of the tower enabling access to the viewing platform behind the parapet. The NE road-side elevation is relatively plain with a number of irregularly fenestrated single storey gabled bays, a large buttress rising to mid-height is set to the near centre. A 20th century garage is set adjacent to the right outerbay. The elevation is terminated to the left by the single storey and attic service wing. The 5-bay principal SW elevation is set slightly raised up from the terrace running its entire length. A balustraded series of steps and terrace lead to French doors giving access to the former smoking room. A large 5-light canted window with piended roof to the left outerbay lights the drawing room. A 3-light canted window, with piended roof and finial, is set on the angle, it lights the dining room. The wall head to the off-centre breaks the eaves with

an M shaped gablet. Obscured behind the gablet is a dormer window, this gives light to the former billiard room. Originally the billiard room was the only room to be housed in the attic of the main part of the house. The attic was converted in the later 20th century creating further accommodation, (including changes made to the former billiard room) the large central cupola remains. The service wing is substantially setback to the outer right of the SW elevation. It is characterised by its piend-roofed bipartite dormer breaking eaves windows and swept eaves. The window to the swept roofed outshot to the SE has a large dormerhead detailed with skewputts and a carved thistle finial. The back door is situated to its right. Materials: squared, snecked rubble with raised long and short quoins and stop-chamfered window margins in polished red sandstone ashlar. Mainly timber sash and case windows with plate glass to lower sashes and predominantly 9-pane glazing to upper sashes, some modern uPVC glazing to tower fenestration. Corniced stack with red clay can; brick stack with red clay can to service wing. Deep eaves with moulded bargeboards to gables. Grey slate roofs to gables, large lead flat roofed section with flashing to main section of house, grey slate piended roof to service wing. Predominantly cast-iron rainwater goods with decorative semicircular hoppers.

Interior: ¾-glazed timber-panelled inner door with cusped upper lights opening onto inner lobby with mosaic floor. Central corridor/hall runs through house, opening out to top-lit principal hall at end. Half-panelling and dentiled cornices to lobby, central corridor, hall and some principal rooms. Timber-panelled shutters to principal rooms. Timber-panelled doors throughout with moulded doorframes and black door handles. Narrow turnpike stair rises through arch from hall to tower bedrooms and former billiard room.

Statement of Special Interest

The owner believes that the house was built for a Mr Johnston who was a financial advisor to a ship builders in Glasgow. It is also believed that the house was internally modernised in the 1940s, this included the loss of some original chimneypieces and grates, replaced by polished steel electric fires. The garden surrounding the house is arranged with a long strip of land (possibly 1 ½ acres including the land the house stands in) running between the road A 84 and Garbh Uisge river. It is organised with a number of terraces and a large lawned area to the SE. There is a small island to the river with access from the garden provided by a timber and steel bridge with central concrete pier, probably dating from the 1930s. The bridge is in poor condition after recent bad weather, 2004.

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.