Torloisk House, Mull

Torloisk House is a large, asymmetrical Scottish Baronial style house with a late 18th-century core, significantly expanded between 1811 and 1879. Further additions and alterations were carried out by MacGregor and Miller in 1863-4 and 1879. The house is predominantly constructed of whinstone with sandstone features and dressings, and notable characteristics include string courses and crowstep gables.

The south elevation displays a three- and four-storey, late 18th-century section set off-centre, accompanied by tall gable chimney stacks with skew and skewputt detailing to the west gable. Dormers were added in 1863-4, and a semi-octagonal window bay with a tall pyramidal roof and dormer was inserted to the left. A continuous stone balcony at first-floor level was also introduced in 1863-4. To the left, a two-storey, four-bay wing (1811-2) adjoins a three-storey gable end bay. An outer-right four-storey gabled bay (1811-2) features a two-storey canted window bay (1863-4) and a semi-circular headed window within the gable.

The east elevation presents a three-bay composition, including a central gabled bay, a lower bay to the outer left (both 1811-2), and a taller four-storey tower to the outer right (1863-4). An advanced porch with an architraved doorcase and a coat-of-arms above is situated to the outer left. A projecting but slightly set-back bay to the right has a tripartite window, with a single-storey conservatory above screening a first-floor tripartite window featuring a semi-circular headed central transom. Similar tripartite windows are found in the outer bays on both sides. A pedimented dormerhead window is to the outer left, and a round-headed window is set within the gable of the centre bay. The tower corbels at the second floor and is topped by a balustraded parapet and a turret (1879).

The north elevation is dominated by the tower and turret on the outer left and showcases strongly modelled crowsteps to the tower gable. The rear of the original late 18th-century house is set back to the right, with a semi-circular stair window centrally placed. A two-storey wing with a gabled end bay is situated to the right.

Windows are timber sash and case with varying glazing patterns reflecting the house’s architectural evolution, including 12-pane, 2-pane and 4-pane designs. Casement windows are also present. The roof is covered in grey slate, with fishscale slates covering the turret and the semi-octagonal bay on the south elevation. Cast-iron rainwater goods are incorporated.

The interior of the house has not been inspected.