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

RHU VILLAGE, MANSE BRAE(OFF), ARDENCONNEL HOUSELB19516

Status: Designated

Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Category
B
Date Added
14/05/1971
Local Authority
Argyll And Bute
Planning Authority
Argyll And Bute
Parish
Rhu
NGR
NS 26837 84409
Coordinates
226837, 684409

Description

David Hamilton, circa 1790. 2-storey over raised basement, 7-bay symmetrical, L-plan classical block with later single storey wing to E and possibly earlier rectangular-plan gabled block to rear. Cream painted harling with honey-coloured sandstone margins and dressings. Base course, band course, string courses, eaves band and cornice, quoin strips, chamfered reveals.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 7 bay symmetrical with sympathetic, modern single storey, 3-bay addition to outer right. Lower, slightly recessed entrance block at centre; stone steps and platt to door. Tripartite ashlar entrance bay at centre with Corinthian columned doorpiece porch supporting fluted frieze and balustraded balcony; columns answered by Corinthian pilasters. Fielded- panelled door with large rectangular, plate-glass fanlight; flanking sidelights. 2 windows symmetrically

disposed at centre of 1st floor. Flanking, slightly advanced, near- symmetrical, 3-bay wings (basement in wing to left paired windows at centre). Round-headed ashlar panel at centre of principal floor, bearing window with blind side panels; flanking windows; smaller windows symmetricaly disposed at basement and 1st floor. 3-bay, single storey block, base course and band, tripartite window at centre, flanking narrow windows, canted bay on right return.

W ELEVATION: 3-bay main block with lower and slightly recessed 4-bay block with mansard attic roof to outer left; single storey, flat-roofed block in re-entrant angle. Full-height, canted, sandstone bay to outer right; symmetrical bays to left with segmental-arched panels with tripartite segmental windows and blind sidelights at principal floor. Semi-circular tripartite basement windows with blinded sidelights and deeply stugged classical margins; blind fanlight. Round-headed ashlar panel at principal floor, window at centre, blind sidelights, blind fanlight in outer left window. Windows symmetrically disposed at 1st floor, that to left bipartite with timber mullion. 4-bay block to left grouped in paired bays; windows symmetrically disposed except at basement; square dormers with pedimented gablet raised at centre, that to right with apex stack.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: lower, possibly earlier, 3-bay asymmetrical gabled block at rear in re-entrant angle of main block and wing. Tripartite window to outer left at ground (stone mullions), window directly above at 1st floor; 2 stair windows at centre bay; windows symmetrically disposed from ground to 2nd floor to outer right. Sandstone oculus between penultimate and outer right bay at upper floor. Square and piend-roofed dormers. Moulded eaves cornice, higher than adjoining wing to right. 5-bay wing advanced to right, with 6th narrow bay by re-entrant angle left. 2 segmental- headed arches at ground to left,

that in penultimate bay now blocked as window; windows at 1st and 2nd floor symmetrically disposed, those at 1st floor segmental- headed, raised cills (those above inner arch 16-pane sash and case). Mansard roof with 12-pane sash and case attic windows symmetrically disposed; stack with gabled pedestal between 2 end windows to right. Modern bay recessed to outer right.

Plate glass sash and case windows for main elevation; 12-pane sash and case windows for rear elevation; some modern replacements. Grey slate piend and platform roof; mansard roof for rear wing.

INTERIOR: not seen 1993.

Statement of Special Interest

Ardenconnel House was the earliest of the Rhu mansions to be built. The estate, along with the lands of Lettrowalt and Blairvaddick, was bought by Andrew Buchanan, a Glasgow merchant, from the McAuleys of Ardencaple. The house originally had projecting symmetrical wings and Venetian windows. Pier Road was originally a tree lined avenue leading

from Rhu pier to Ardenconnel which was later built on when feuing of Ardenconnnel lands took place in the 1830s. The house was bought by the Colquhouns of Luss and in 1899 was set up as the Scottish holiday guesthouse of the Co-operative Holidays Association. Ardenconnel survived a fire in 1907 and is now subdivided into flats.

References

Bibliography

NMRS copies of David Hamilton drawings in Hunterian Museum, Glasgow. OS 1st edition 25" Co series, 1858. F A Walker & F Sinclair NORTH CLYDE ESTUARY (1992) p91. STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF STIRLINGSHIRE ( ) p67. Iain B Galbraith A VILLAGE HERITAGE 1648-1980 (1980) p58. F H Groome ORDNANCE GAZETTEER OF SCOTLAND (1897) Vol I p63. G R Stocks 'The Mansions of Rhu' in SCOTLAND'S MAGAZINE (March 1958) 54.3 p20.

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: 03/04/2026 10:07