Ganavan, Oban

Ganavan is a Grade B listed building designed by William Leiper in 1888. It is an asymmetrical, two-storey house in the English Domestic style, arranged on an L-plan with a single-storey and attic section, and includes an M-gabled wing to the south-east. The building also incorporates a former artist's studio.

The main structure is constructed from squared and snecked granite with a light bull-faced finish, complemented by red sandstone dressings. Red tile hanging covers part of the principal block, while the south-east wing features half-timbering with harl. A base course of moulded sandstone string course runs along the principal block. Overhanging timber bracketed eaves extend throughout the building. Sandstone quoins and long and short surrounds frame the chamfered openings, with predominantly sandstone mullions and chamfered cills.

The north-east elevation serves as the entrance front. A projecting gabled porch, offset to the left of centre, contains a round-arched central opening flanked by trefoil-headed side-lights with quatrefoil uppers and scalloped bargeboards. A shouldered arch frames the entrance, which has a two-leaf boarded timber door with decorative hinges. The porch opens into a tiled vestibule. To the right stands a two-storey gable end with four-light canted windows centred at both floors beneath an overhanging gablehead, with a wallhead stack to the right. A plain elevation to the lower wing recesses to the outer right, while a single-storey wing to the outer left features a large gabled window breaking the eaves at centre.

The north-west elevation displays a two-storey gable end to the left, again with four-light canted windows centred at both floors beneath a stepped, overhanging gablehead. The first floor features projecting timber-bracketed tile-hanging. A pointed-arched bipartite window is centred at ground level. A piend-roofed single window breaks the eaves, offset to the right, with a wallhead stack adjoined to the outer right.

The south-west rear elevation comprises a three-bay principal block with an offset ground-floor window to the right of centre and a timber-mullioned bipartite window above. Four-light canted windows occupy both floors of the outer left section beneath an overhanging gablehead. A ground-floor window to the outer right is topped by a timber-mullioned bipartite window beneath an uneven gabled dormerhead breaking the eaves. A single-storey, two-bay wing projects to the right, featuring a timber-mullioned bipartite window to the left and a window to the right.

The south-east elevation comprises a five-bay gabled wing projecting to the left, with a bipartite window offset to the left of centre at ground level. Boarded timber doors flank the ground level, with windows at the outer left and right corners. A timber-mullioned bipartite window is centred in the gablehead, and a catslide dormer projects to the right. A further gabled wing projecting to the right contains a central window, with a window in a lean-to addition to the left. A gabled porch recesses to the outer right. The principal block recesses at centre with a large bipartite window to the left and a wallhead stack to the right.

Windows throughout are predominantly timber-framed. Those facing the entrance front feature decorative leaded glass in the upper panes. Elsewhere, plate glass forms the lower panes with decorative leaded uppers. Plate glass timber sash and case and casement windows, some with four- and six-pane uppers, appear on the south-east, south-west, and north-west elevations.

The roof is covered with grey slate and features red tile ridging. Timber bargeboards, bolted in places, decorate the gable ends. Stacks rise from granite wallheads and gableheads with red sandstone dressings and circular terracotta cans. Decorative iron rainwater goods complete the exterior.

The interior contains a timber arcaded staircase with pointed arches and turned balustres. The hall features a corner stone fireplace and a small leaded and stained glass round-arched window. The dining room includes a sideboard recess with timber architrave and decorative arch. Timber fireplaces appear throughout other rooms. Access to the interior was not possible at the time of survey in 1999.

The gates and gatepiers are contemporary with the house. Ball-finalled square-plan gatepiers flank the pedestrian entrance, with a timber gate between them. Rectangular-plan gatepiers, with near-pyramidal rendered caps, flank the vehicular entrance to the south-east, with a modern gate installed.