Clunie

Clunie is a villa built between 1825 and 1830, possibly designed by William Robertson in Elgin. It is a single-storey, five-bay building with a raised basement and a classical portico. The exterior is constructed of granite ashlar, with squared and coursed rubble used for the basement, featuring slate pinnings. Notable architectural details include a band course, eaves course, cornice, and tall windows with recessed aprons on the principal floor, as well as broad angle pilasters.

On the east elevation, there are five semicircular steps leading up to a semicircular portico at the center, supported by fluted Doric columns and entablature pilasters. The entrance features a four-panelled door with pilastered jambs, decorative glazing in the two upper panels, and a rectangular fanlight above. There are two windows on either side of the door at each floor.

The south elevation has three windows on each floor. The north elevation features three windows on the principal floor and a six-panelled door at the center of the basement, which has a pilastered surround and a strip-fanlight with round-light glazing. There are two small windows flanking the door, with larger windows in the outer bays.

The west elevation includes four windows on each floor, with the outer bays separated by bulls-eye windows. The villa has sash and case windows with plate glass sashes, and some windows feature 12-pane glazing on the sides and rear. The roof is covered with grey slates and has a piended design with a central cupola. Corniced ashlar ridge stacks and decorative cans are also present, along with ashlar coped retaining walls for the basement.

Inside, many fine original features have been retained, including a vaulted hall with plasterwork ceiling panels. A circular stairwell at the center features a curved stone stair with a decorative cast-iron balustrade, a dentilled cornice, and a domed cupola. The interior includes recessed eight-panelled doors, principal rooms with broad reeded skirting, cornices, and a honeysuckle frieze. The door surrounds are in the Soanian neo-classical style, and there are four-panelled window shutters. A decorative gilded fire surround in a marble chimneypiece is complemented by an en suite pier glass above.