The Mains, Hill Street, Oban

The Mains is a pair of houses from the late 19th century, likely built in the 1870s. The property includes a three-storey, three-bay house and a single-storey, three-bay cottage that is attached to its east side at the first floor level. An upper storey was added, probably in the early 20th century, along with an extension to the eastern gable of the cottage during the same period. The property is situated on a hillside in a prominent location where Hill Street curves to meet Rockfield Road in Oban.

The main elevation, facing southwest, features entrance openings in the second and fifth bays, with pedimented stone dormers that break the roof eaves, along with timber bargeboards and eaves. The building is made of harl-pointed rubble with stugged and droved ashlar dressings. The two entrance doors are boarded, and the door to the three-storey section has a two-pane fanlight above it.

Most of the windows have 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case frames, with projecting window sills throughout. There are two small, square modern windows on the north (rear) elevation. Gabled dormerheads also break the roof eaves on the front elevation. The roof is covered in grey slates, featuring plain timber barge boards and eaves. Cast iron gutters with downpipes are located between the bays. The house and cottage each have a single apex chimneystack on their east gables, and there is a shouldered, five-flue wallhead chimneystack in the centre of the north (rear) wall, all topped with circular clay cans.

A rubble-coped and rubble-built boundary wall surrounds the house to the south, following the curve of the road. There is an iron gate next to the house and a single gatepier with a capstan finial to the right.