Carbeth House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu

Carbeth House, built around 1855 by James Smith, is a two-storey, three-bay rectangular villa located on Torwoodhill Road in Rhu. The exterior features white-painted harl with painted ashlar dressings and margins, an eaves cornice, quoin strips, and a base course.

On the south elevation, there are three symmetrical bays. A projecting rectangular five-light window supports a decorative cast-iron balcony that sits on a modillion cornice. The central entrance features a two-leaf panelled door with a half-glazed vestibule door, and the balcony forms a porch over the soffit, which has recessed panels and simple moulding. Three windows are symmetrically arranged on the first floor, and steps lead to the entrance, flanked by dies with decorative urns.

The west elevation consists of a two-bay main block with a lower, slightly recessed block to the outer left. The windows are symmetrically placed in the two outer left bays, with a small window immediately to the right of the penultimate bay and another window in the outer right at the first floor.

The east elevation features a four-bay main house with a single-storey kitchen wing that advances to the outer right. There is a lean-to garage at the ground outer left, separated from the single-storey wing by a rubble wall. The first-floor windows are near-symmetrically placed, with the outer right bay slightly advanced.

The villa has three-pane plate glass sash and case windows, as well as casement windows on the first floor. The roof is covered with grey slate, and there are sandstone, corniced wallhead stacks with octagonal cans.

Inside, the hall includes a winding stair with decorative cast-iron balusters, simple plasterwork, and a cupola featuring egg and dart and rosette plasterwork. The dining room and drawing room have compartmentalised ceilings with figurative consoles supporting beams and Corinthian pilasters.