Description
Circa 1840, reworked and dated 1910; extended 1870s into large multi-date Scots Baronial shooting lodge incorporating work by Andrew Heiton Junior including machicolated and crenelated 5-stage tower dated 1873. Well-detailed single, single-storey and attic and 2-storey house with exceptional interior, converted to hotel and subsequently care home in later 20th century. Small U-plan courtyard formed by single and low 2-storey service quarters at rear. Squared and coursed bull-faced rubble with contrasting ashlar dressings, raised base course forming ground floor cill course and partial eaves course. Crowstepped gables and finialled stone dormerheads to original building; later ranges have some trefoil-headed windows in gothic-arched frames forming traceried-effect. Corbels; stone transoms and mullions, raked cills and chamfered arrises.
FURTHER DESCRIPTION: asymmetrical elevations. Entrance elevation to NE with monumental square-plan tower incorporating porch leading to broad 2-leaf panelled timber door in moulded doorpiece, 3rd stage windowhead with initials 'AT MG' and '1873' surmounted by decorative relief carving; 5th stage with conical-capped viewing turrets at angles, larger circular stair tower forming caphouse with spired cupola at NW angle.
Long garden elevation to SE has original 4-bay house at left with crowstepped gable now with framed panel bearing initials 'JW EAW' and dated '1910', corbelled turret at outer left angle (see Notes) and projecting stone porch at right with panelled timber door in pedimented doorpiece below coat of arms flanked by crenelated angle rounds. Lower 2-storey, 3-bay centre range has blocked pointed arch at centre, possibly former pend entrance to small rear courtyard, and early family crests (see Notes). 3 dominant bays at right incorporate circular conical-roofed tower and gabled bays with decorative window detail.
Some leaded and coloured glass, 3-pane upper sashes, 4-pane and plate glass glazing patterns all in timber sash and case windows. Grey slates; fishscale pattern to SE tower. Coped and shouldered ashlar stacks. Original house retains thackstane and ashlar-coped skew at E. Stone gable- and dormer-head finials. Elsewhere deeply overhanging eaves with decorative and plain bargeboarding, and decorative cast iron finials.
INTERIOR: fine decorative scheme throughout principal rooms and halls. Good plasterwork and painted ceilings of panelled and strapwork design, Tudor gothic and classical joinery work, marble and timber and fireplaces, panelled dadoes, cast iron radiators and some original light fittings. Entrance hall has tiled floor, timber-panelled walls below Tynecastle wallcovering, stone fireplace with tiled cheeks and hearth, and painted timber ceiling. Stairhall with marble fireplace, elaborate plasterwork ceiling, grand timber arcade opening onto cantilevered timber staircase and coloured glass bipartite stair window of thistle and rose design. Classically-detailed 1910 ballroom (see Notes) with heavily decorated plasterwork frieze, cornice and ceiling; architraved doorways with swag detail and inglenook fireplace with Ionic columns, inset marble fireplace and flanking pictorial panels to coloured glass windows with 'Morning' and 'Evening'; further coloured leaded glazing to top lights of SW facing windows. Single storey dining room with rectangular-plan ridge lantern to ribbed ceiling and black marble fireplace.
GATEPIERS AND QUADRANT WALLS: fine pair of vehicular gatepiers each with outer pedestrian gatepiers and flanked by ashlar-coped bull-faced quadrant walls. Large, slightly raked, square-section gatepiers flanking drive, each with deep base, plain plinth and elaborately carved cap with inset floreate capitalled columns and heraldic device. Outer, smaller piers with trefoil design at apex.
Statement of Special Interest
B group with Kippen Lodge. Kippen House occupies a prominent position in the Perthshire countryside, with its distinctive tower visible from some distance. The house, which evolved throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries into a large multi-period country home, is particularly distinguished by its fine stonework carving and outstanding interior detail. The 1870s work of local architect Andrew Heiton is notable for the quality of its interior design.
Dr Malcolm Graeme notes that "The Kippen Estate was probably bought by Ninian Graeme, 6th of Garvock, in 1612 from Haldane of Gleneagles". The earliest remaining part of the house was probably built in 1837 on the marriage of John Graeme and Helen de Jersey. The estate passed to Robert Graeme in 1857, who, as a result of financial difficulties, sold Kippen in 1872 to Angus Turner, his aunt's husband. Angus Turner, who began his legal career in Edinburgh, became Town Clerk for Glasgow City. The significant changes commissioned by Angus Turner remain substantially as seen today, and the house may have been known as Kippen Turner for a while. In 1898 the estate had passed into the ownership of Sir John Wilson, chairman of the Wilson and Clyde Coal Company and Liberal Unionist MP for Falkirk.
The 1910 ballroom is understood to have been created to celebrate the 21st birthday of Sir John and Lady Wilson's daughter. While the interior detail reflects this date, the exterior of this SW wing pre-dates the 1870s work and the 1910 date is therefore taken as a record of reworking rather than a newly built wing as has been expressed in some historical accounts of Kippen House. Similar stylistic dating has been applied to the centre link section of the SW garden elevation which incorporates the crests of James Graeme (a rampant lion) and his wife Helen de Jersey (a phoenix rising from the ashes). These panels were almost certainly removed from the earlier house, either during the 1910 alteration or during the 1870s when a SE angle turret (which would have balanced that to the SW) was removed.
In 1950 the estate was broken up, with Kippen House being sold to Perth and Kinross Council for the sum of £53,000. It was used as a school before being converted into a hotel by Johannes A G Janssen from Holland in 1977-78. During the closing years of the 20th century the house was again sold and has since been run as a care home.