Description

The monument comprises the derelict harled remains of the 16th- and 17th-century courtyard house of the Gordons of Lochinvar. The building was much altered in the 19th century and partially demolished around 1958. The site, a conical grassy knoll, was probably first artificially strengthened in the early medieval period.

The oldest surviving part of the house is the main portion of the 3-storey W range, the W front of which shows simply moulded window surrounds and gunloops while the E front is decorated with rope-moulded string courses. On the ground floor of the W range, 17th-century tunnel-vaulted stores with round shot holes survive in good condition. Projecting from the end of the E front in the inner angle with the S range stands a sizable octagonal stair tower; a large panel carved with an heraldic achievement is situated above the door. The S range dates largely from the 1840s in its present form although it incorporates re-used work of the early 17th century. The W range's S end was remodelled in 1879 and its N end was added to in 1908.

The area to be scheduled is nearly oval on plan with maximum dimensions of 130m N-S by 100m E-W to include the grassy mound, the substantial ruins and an area around them within which associated remains may be expected to survive, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography
No Bibliography entries for this designation

Source: Historic Environment Scotland