Duff House

Duff House is a substantial Baroque mansion designed by William Adam and built between 1735 and 1740. George Jamieson served as mason, with John Burn providing specialised carving. The house stands on a square plan of 9 by 8 bays, rising three storeys over a raised basement with a mezzanine to the side elevations. Advanced corner towers, breaking eaves, and domed roofs with cupolas give the building its distinctive silhouette.

The exterior displays finest ashlar masonry with a rusticated basement divided by a cornice, a band course at first floor level, and a substantial mutuled cornice above the frieze beneath the attic floor. A wallhead balustrade features panelled dies with urn finials positioned on the cornice and blocking course. Fluted Corinthian pilasters rise through the principal and first floors and extend to the tower heads. Windows throughout are architraved; those on the principal floor carry pediments, while first floor windows are corniced and second floor windows are keystoned. The attic floor windows are keystoned, and those in the tower heads are round-arched and keystoned with swags and tablet panels above. The tower basements have keystoned windows with blind panels and aprons to the principal and first floor windows, while basket-arched windows light the tower basements. Carved ornament decorates the blocking course of the tower heads, which are topped with urn finials. Corniced, octagonal, panelled ashlar lantern stacks rise from the centres of the domed roofs.

The south or principal elevation comprises nine bays in the arrangement 1-2-3-2-1. An ashlar ram's horn stair leads up to the principal floor of the advanced three-bay centrepiece, which features panelled ashlar piers and dies with a coped stone balustrade (the right section was reinstated around 1988). A three-bay round-arched arcade with an impost course opens to the exposed basement, which contains a luggage door. The triumphal pedimented centrepiece displays round-arched windows at the principal and first floors, with French doors to the centre of the principal floor window, and a blind balustraded apron to the first floor windows. Exuberant armorial carving in the tympanum of the pediment displays the Duff Arms and motto, masking the attic floor whose blind windows are partly visible in the outer bays. Classical lead statuettes adorn the apex (Diana) and outer angles (Mars and Orpheus) of the pediment. The remaining bays follow the regular fenestration described above.

The north elevation mirrors the south elevation but lacks the ram's horn stair and French windows, with differing pediment details. The east elevation includes mezzanine windows to the principal and first floors in the penultimate bays. The three centre bays advance slightly, displaying pedimented windows to the principal floor and corniced windows to the first floor; there is no pediment to this elevation. Evidence of a corridor block and service pavilion designed by David Bryce Junior in 1870 previously adjoined the left corner tower (both were destroyed by bombing in 1941). The west elevation has two centre bays slightly advanced with stair windows pedimented at first floor level, mezzanine windows in the flanking bays and corner towers. Rubble masonry visible at the ground and basement of the right corner tower shows the intended location of a pink and pavilion that was never executed.

The windows are multi-pane timber sash and case. Tall panelled and corniced ashlar stacks rise prominently from the roof. Grey slate roofs are fitted with lead flashings.

The interior contains fine classical decoration. Work was continued by the 2nd Earl of Fife after 1763, with William Lyon serving as plasterer. The stair hall features a wide cantilevered staircase beneath a plaster ceiling designed by Lyon in 1769. A secondary stair winds around a top-lit square arcaded well with turned balusters to the balustrade. The first floor contains a suite of rooms including a centre Saloon with fine plasterwork ceiling and decorative plasterwork throughout. Joinery work includes raised and fielded panelling with dadoes, moulded doorcases and carved overdoors featuring consoled or dentilled cornices, pediments, or fluted Ionic pilastered jambs. Some early 19th century beaded panelling survives on window shutters. Second floor archways are depressed. Carved and gilded classical chimneypieces are found throughout. The attic storey decoration was completed by 1776 and includes a library. Some ceilings are coombed, with modillioned cornices. The basement contains a segmental barrel-vaulted room with keystoned round-headed archways and basket-arched chimneypieces.