Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

THE ROBERTSON BUILDING, MILLPORT FIELD CENTRE, MARINE PARADE, MILLPORT, ISLE OF CUMBRAELB52288

Status: Designated

Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Category
C
Date Added
07/10/2014
Local Authority
North Ayrshire
Planning Authority
North Ayrshire
Burgh
Millport
NGR
NS 17556 54505
Coordinates
217556, 654505

Description

Peter Macgregor Chalmers, 1896-7 (wing to west), with 1904 addition linking J B Wilson, Son & Honeyman, 1939 wing to east. U-plan former marine station, comprising pair of 2-storey, 8-bay gabled wings with linking 2-storey, 6-bay section. The building is situated on the south-east coast of Great Cumbrae and overlooks the sea to the mainland. Red and cream squared sandstone rubble with band courses to the south gable elevations. Large Diocletian (semi-circular) windows to the upper storey of the south gables, set in recessed round-arches and facing the sea.

Roofs with concrete tiles and synthetic slates and with red ridge tiling and raised shouldered skews. Non-traditional large rooflights to the 1897 building. Some timber casement windows. Predominantly non-traditional replacement windows.

The interior was seen in 2014. The room on the upper floor of the 1897 building is a library and has an open timber roof with corbels. Decorative metal balusters and a timber banister to the stair. There is a 1953 aquarium within the building. Some part-glazed doors.

Statement of Special Interest

The Field Centre at Millport pioneered the science of Marine Biology and is one of the two earliest permanent marine stations in Scotland, with the original section opening in 1897. Facing the sea, the building emphasises its continued relationship with it. There are some decorative features to the building, particularly in the round-arched Diocletian windows to the gables and the main elevations of the building have had few additions or extensions since the building of the later wing in 1937. Internally, the building has some interesting features in the open timber roof and the retained timber doors and staircase.

The study of marine science became popular over the course of the 19th century as people became increasingly interested in marine life and by the end of the century, there were permanent marine stations in most countries in Europe and in North America. In Scotland, the first permanent research station opened in 1884 and was in a boat called The Ark, which was moored in a flooded quarry in Granton, near Edinburgh. The boat was fitted out as a floating laboratory by Sir John Murray and it formed the Scottish Marine Station for 12 years. The Ark was moved to Cumbrae in 1885 and a number of leading scientists visited it. David Robertson, an amateur naturalist based in Cumbrae, wanted to establish a more permanent station at Millport and the current building was opened in 1897. It originally had a residence for the curator on the ground floor, had a large water tank and contained a museum upstairs. The other permanent marine station, The Gatty Marine Laboratory at St Andrews opened its building in 1896.

The commission for a non-ecclesiastical building for Peter Macgregor Chalmers (1859-1922) was unusual for the successful Glasgow-based architect whose work almost exclusively consisted of churches in the west of Scotland.

On 21 July 1904, the Scotia, the ship from the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition, landed on Cumbrae and over the course of the 20th century, significant research was carried out at the station. To accommodate the increase in research activity the station was extended in 1904-5 with a 2-storey extension to the north east, forming an L-plan building. This had an aquarium on the ground floor and a classroom above. A separate curator's house was also built to the immediate south of the original building.

When further facilities were needed, another 2-storey wing, similar to the original building, was opened in 1939. At this time, the museum was moved to its present position on the ground floor, and the library was moved to the upper floor of the 1897 block. In the 1950s there were more general improvements to the building and the aquarium was completely altered and renovated in 1953.

References

Bibliography

Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland: Canmore:

http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/292516/details/

Sheina M Marshall, (1987), An Account of the Marine Station at Millport, Millport, Isle of Cumbrae.

Martin Bellamy, (2003) Millport and the Cumbraes, Tempus Publishing Ltd, Stroud, p26-7.

R Close and A Riches, (2012), The Buildings of Scotland, Ayrshire and Arran, New Haven and London, Yale University Press, p363.

G Moore, The Millport station at Millport, in Largs Life Magazine, (August 2013), Edition 5.

Dictionary of Scottish Architects, Peter Macgregor Chalmers at http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=200244 (accessed 30-04-14).

Dictionary of Scottish Architects, John B Wilson, Son & Honeyman at

http://www.scottisharchitects.org.uk/architect_full.php?id=203740 (accessed 05-05-14).

Further information courtesy of owners, (2014).

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.

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Printed: 31/07/2025 21:53