Glen Kin, 76 John Street, Helensburgh

Glen Kin is a mid-19th century villa in Helensburgh, with additions made in 1889 by William Leiper. The house is asymmetrical, originally a two-storey villa, to which a later drum tower was added to the southwest angle, and a gabled two-storey pavilion to the east. The original block is constructed of squared and coursed red sandstone, while the later additions feature harling, with red and cream squared and snecked polygonal red sandstone, red banding, and mock half-timber detail to the gableheads. Ashlar dressings are present throughout, along with bipartite and tripartite mullioned and transomed windows featuring ashlar mullions; these windows have a variety of surrounds including raised margins, chamfered arrises, moulded reveals, and decorated timber oriels. Deep, overhanging, bracketed eaves and a quoin strip further define the architectural style.

The south (entrance) elevation features two bays of the original house centrally positioned. A recessed bay to the left contains a two-leaf panelled door and a deep-set, half-glazed vestibule door, with an original iron bell-pull and a narrow window with leaded glazing, screened by a timber arcaded porch with a slate roof, located between the drum tower and an advanced bay. A further window is located above to the right on the first floor. An advanced bay to the right has a canted window at ground level with a cornice and parapet, above which is a tripartite mullioned and transomed window. The drum tower is corbelled at the first floor, with a small corniced window located to the far right at the first floor. A broad red sandstone ashlar eaves course is decorated with alternating rectangular and fluted panels. The conical roof is shallow, adorned with a decorated finial and weathercock. A gabled pavilion to the outer right incorporates a bipartite window at ground level, corbelling at the first floor and a canted, corniced timber oriel – some lights have curved astragals – supported by heavy corbels, which breaks the eaves. The gablehead exhibits mock half-timber detail and a finialled roof. The east (side) elevation shows a return of the pavilion with a single-storey block abutting centrally, connected by a covered passage to a gabled garage/outbuilding. The oriel detailing mirrors that of the south elevation and is flanked by tall, corniced cream sandstone stacks.

The north (rear) elevation displays a gabled return to the pavilion on the outer left. An advanced and canted two-storey stair block is located in the centre of the older block to the right, featuring a window at ground level and a timber corbelled, canted window at the first floor; a tall, corniced and coped stack is positioned to the left. The west (side) elevation features a canted gable window, displaying a 1-2-1 arrangement of lights with a geometric leaded glazing pattern to the lower sashes and multi-pane upper sashes. Mock half-timber detailing adorns the gablehead. A window at ground and first floor is located to the outer left. Various glazing patterns are utilized, incorporating plate glass casement windows and sash and case windows with plate glass to the lower sashes and multi-pane to the upper sashes. A green slate roof is topped with red ridge tiles.

The interior contains a hall with an adjoining stair-hall, characterized by fine wainscot, panelled doors with original fittings, fluted architraves, and decorated cornices. A timber, balustered, dog-leg stair rises through the hall. An attractive, angled chimney-piece is found in the stair-hall, and the dining room to the right features a timber panelled ceiling and timber chimney-piece with a lions head carving. A white marble chimney-piece is located in the drawing room at first floor level.

The boundary walls are constructed from snecked, stugged red sandstone with ashlar coping; chamfered red sandstone piers have moulded ashlar caps.