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Summary

Description

Circa 1600; later alterations by Robert Adam, 1771; later 20th century alterations to form shop fronts at ground floor and residential dwellings above. Tall narrow 3-storey 4-bay former county buildings with prominent bowed S end. Painted sandstone ashlar. Corniced fascia above ground floor; corniced eaves course, banded cill course and entablature to bowed S end.

NW ELEVATION: 3-storey, break-fronted 3-bay section to right. Alterations at ground floor to form later shop fronts with various entrance doors and later plate glass shop windows. Regular fenestration to 1st and 2nd floors (penultimate bay to left (N) blind) smaller windows at 2nd floor.

SE ELEVATION: 3-bay bowed end (bow slightly recessed from gable end) set on ground falling away to E. Later alterations to form commercial premises at ground floor with off centre doorway to right (W) and large multi-pane window to right (E). Pilastered 1st and 2nd floors; round-headed niches flanking large corniced window to centre at 1st floor; small rectangular windows at 2nd floor flanking central panel inscribed 'THIS COUNTY HOUSE WAS REPAIRED BY THE CROWN AD 1771 ROBERT ADAM, KINIGHT OF THE SHIRE, DECORATED THE FRONT AT HIS OWN EXPENSE'.

Predominantly 12- and 8-pane timber sash and case windows with some large plate glass windows to shop fronts. Pitched roof; grey slates. Large corniced sandstone ashlar gable-end stack with clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

Statement of Special Interest

The Old County Buildings is an early example of a Town House and an unusual example of a provincial public work by pre-eminent architect Robert Adam (1728-1792). The Adam family owned Blair Adam, an estate immediately to the south of Kinross and Robert was elected member of parliament for the constituency and in 1771 provided the designs for the County Buildings as well as funding the improvments.

Adam's design exploits the axial view to the south down the High Street with the prominent bowed end to the S elevation terminating a view up the street. This echoes the articulation of space at nearby Kinross House (see separate listing) which was a key influence on the development of Adam's style. Although Adam's style was perhaps at its most fluent in the opulent interiors of his domestic designs this public building retains no significant evidence of an interior design scheme with extensive conversions to commercial and residential properties (2009).

List description updated 2009.

References

Bibliography

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