Description
John Rhind, Inverness, house dated variously 1873-8,
probably incorporating fragments of earlier shooting lodge.
Large irregular 2- and 3-storey baronial mansion with
varied gabled roofline. All grey granite rubble with
contrasting tooled ashlar dressings.
L-plan S front with round-headed entrance in 2-storey
projectilng gabled porch with corbelled detailing over
ground floor. 1st floor bipartite with crest above.
Panelled double leaf door. Variety of gabled bays
terminating in circular and octagonal turrets with boldly
corbelled conical roofs.
Gabled wide 4-bay W garden fornt with projecting canted
outer bays and 5-storey square tower set back at N.
Off-centre entrance within 3-arched loggia with crenellated
balcony above, corbelled turret re-entrant angle, set back
turret at S. Upper crenellated parapets, crowstepped and
brattished caphouse.
2-storey wings N and S, to S possibly part of earlier
house.
Single, 2, 3 or 4-light mullioned windows mainly 2-pane
glazing; decorative cast-iron finials. Wooden gable apex
finials; coped end and ridge stacks; slate roofs.
Walled service court at E entered through round-headed
archway.
Interior; richly decorated interior. Neo-Jacobean inner
stair hall with inset low-relief panels depicting sporting
artifacts. Wide wooden staircase with carved balustrade
and square finialled newels.
Drawing room with carved marble chimney-piece and mirrored
overmantel; panelled dado; panelled double doors with broken
pedimented doorpieces; strapwork plaster ceiling.
Library; panelled; carved wooden chimney-piece with
overmantel flanked by caryatids; inglenook screened by
round-headed arch supported by pair fluted Corinthian
columns; bookshelves delineated by barley-sugar clustered
colonettes. Dining room; ornate variegated marble
chimneypiece with heavy carved wooden overmantel framing
portrait; panelled to cornice height; arcaded plasterwork
cornice.
Billiard room; panelled room with built in bookshelves.
Walled service court at E entered through round-headed archway.
OUTER SERVICE COURT: (setted), to E partially enclosed by single storey outbuildings and single storeyr and loft helm-roofed boathouse/garages block, and by detached single storey and loft symmetrical game larder with gabled centre piece and tall slated ridge fleche. Further detached square GAME LARDER with louvered walls and pyramidal louvered roof stands on mound to N of house by loch-side.
BOATHOUSE ALSO TO N: small rubble L-plan boathouse with double doors to loch inlet (now dried up). Rubble; coped end stack; slate roof.
WALLED GARDEN: coped rubble walled garden; shallow buttresses at regular intervals; arched entrance under stepped coped overthrow with monogram and dated 1939.