Sundial, Alastrean House

Alastrean House is a building dating from 1903, designed by G Sydney Mitchell, with later additions. Originally a hunting lodge built in a 17th-century, Baroque Revival style, it is now a two-story building composed of a five-bay, hip-roofed central block and three-bay gabled wings arranged in a U-plan. The building is constructed of Aberdeen bond pink granite and features a moulded eaves course. Two drum towers with distinctive candle-snuffer roofs flank the main entrance.

The north elevation, or principal facade, showcases a five-bay central block. A single-story, advanced gabled porch, constructed in rusticated granite, is positioned at the centre, accessed by a two-leaf timber door flanked by blocked pilasters supporting a polished granite plaque inscribed, 'COMRADES OF ALL THE BRAVE THE FAITHFULL AND THE TRUE AND IN GLORIOUS MEMORY OF THE FEW.' The gablehead is roughly carved with the RAF arms and the inscription, 'ALASTREAN HOUSE, IN MEMORY OF MY SONS SIR ALASTAIR, SIR RODERIC SIR IAIN MACROBERT'. Windows flank the entrance. Engaged, two-stage drum towers flank the porch and terminate in candle-snuffer roofs that break the eaves. Regular fenestration is found in the outer bays. Three-bay advanced gabled wings project from the main block to form a front courtyard. Modern, four-bay blocks, constructed in a sympathetic style, are attached to the outer corners of the wings.

The south elevation, or rear facade, is nine bays wide with regular fenestration. The central three bays feature plaques bearing the arms of Lord Aberdeen carved into the upper story, flanked by engaged drum towers. Plain outer bays are flanked by additional engaged drum towers at the corners. A two-story, rectangular wing projects to the outer right, with a timber forestair linking the garden to the billiard room.

The east side elevation is largely obscured by modern additions in a similar style. The west side elevation has irregular fenestration and incorporates a single-story, advanced section with a bipartite window. Large, modern, U-plan additions (constructed between 2001 and 2002) in the same style are attached to the outer left, or northwest, corner.

The windows are timber-framed sash and case, with multi-pane upper sashes and plate glass lower sashes. The roof is slate, with lead flashing. Solar panels have been added to the south-facing roof. Grey slates cover the roof, terminating in coped ridge stacks.

The interior is generally characterised by plain, elegant timber panelling and plasterwork, installed after a fire in 1958. However, the billiard room in the south wing retains its original Jacobethan style panelling, featuring ornate pilasters and strapwork carving above the fireplace.

A freestanding sundial, consisting of a narrow, Salomonic column on a plinth, blocked at the center and terminating in a plain capital bearing a bronze dial, is also present on the property.