Description

The monument comprises the vaulted basement floors of a L-plan 17th-century tower house (once two-storeys high) and its exceptionally fine hexagonal stair tower which stands to full height in the SE re-entrant angle. The masonry is rubble throughout with decorative ashlar buckle-quoins and strap work, and an ashlar parapet to the tower. The entrance lies in this stair tower where a panel above the door bears the monogram of James Dundas and his wife. The basement floor of the main block has been sub-divided, the E chamber functioning as a kitchen with a fireplace and oven in its gable. The inner room and that in the wing were probably cellars.

The monument was first scheduled in 1935. The area included is not adequate to protect all the archaeological remains: the present rescheduling rectifies this.

The area to be scheduled is rectangular in shape and measures 35m NNW to SSE by 32m transversely to include the remains of the tower house and an area around them within which associated remains are expected to survive, as marked in red on the accompanying map extract. Excluded from the scheduling is the above-ground portion of the fence which surrounds the building.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Statement of Scheduling

The monument is of national importance as the remains of a 17th-century L-plan tower house which incorporates a particularly fine and unusual hexagonal tower. The building has the potential to provide important information about 17th-century domestic architecture.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland

Sources

Bibliography

References:

MacGibbon, D. and Ross, T., 1887-92, The Castellated and Domestic Architecture of Scotland, vol. II, 200-201.

RCAHMS (1929) Inventory of Monuments in Mid and West Lothian, 185, no. 279.

Source: Historic Environment Scotland