Frendraught House

Frendraught House is a complex building with a long history spanning several centuries, originally consisting of a tower house and a "ha' hoose" (or hall house). The tower house was largely demolished around 1947, but some of its remains were visible before then. The "ha' hoose" was initially built, then burnt in 1630, and subsequently rebuilt in 1656, incorporating earlier fabric including two small, chamfered windows on the west gable, believed by Dr. Simpson to date back to the 14th century. The building was recast again, likely around 1753, although the datestone from that period is now located in a rear office and is not in its original position.

The house is arranged over two main storeys, a basement, and an attic. It has a seven-window front. The central three-window section is slightly advanced and faced with ashlar, featuring a large, semi-circular pediment and a substantial chimney. The west gable is crowstepped and has openings with ogee mouldings, alongside moulded chimney copes. The exterior is largely harled.

The interior contains original features, alongside additions from around 1842. An east wing, built at a different level, includes a dining room dating back to approximately 1790 or 1800. This wing was subsequently raised to create an angle tower with a battlemented top and bartizans, around 1841/2. A porch was added to the front centre during the same period, integrating a datestone from 1688. A rear outshot, initially a basement level, was raised to its present height, likely around 1842. A north wing, two storeys high with three windows facing into a courtyard, was built in the early 18th century or earlier, with simple chamfered openings and voussoirs creating a wide archway. The eastern elevation reveals the interior face of the original tower house’s west wall, left exposed after the demolition of the remainder of the tower. The Ordnance Gazetteer of 1885 Volume 2 Plate 13 includes illustrations of the tower house remains.