The Argyllshire Gathering Halls, Breadalbane Street, Oban

The Argyllshire Gathering Halls, dating to the late 19th century with subsequent additions and alterations, comprise a classically-detailed ballroom and restaurant with a lower range adjoined to the left. The principal block is a single storey with an attic, five bays wide, constructed of coursed and stugged cream sandstone, with some rendered areas, and features ashlar dressings. It has a base and eaves course, modillioned eaves, a corniced parapet, and pilastered bays. The lower range is of lined render with a stepped base course, eaves course, a tall, coped parapet, and also pilastered bays.

The eastern (entrance) elevation presents the principal block to the right, featuring a consoled, pedimented doorpiece offset to the right of centre, containing a deep-set timber panelled door. A later shallow-pedimented opening, with a 2-leaf boarded timber door, is offset to the left of centre at ground level, with blind openings in the remaining bays. Two piended dormers are set behind the parapet, offset to the left of centre. A later flat-roofed entrance corridor is adjoined to the outer right. The lower block’s gable end extends to the outer left, featuring steps leading to a deep-set, 2-leaf timber panelled door at ground level to the right, and a bipartite window to the left. A bipartite window is centred in the surmounting gablehead. To the right of the gable end, a five-bay section has a boarded timber door centred at ground level, with blind openings to the left and right. The western (rear) elevation was not visible in 1999.

The building has part-louvred dormer windows to the ballroom, rooflights to the side, and plate glass timber sash and case windows to the later block, some of which are opaque. Grey slate roofs cover the structure, with a piended roof to the ballroom.

The interior of the ballroom is rectangular in plan, with a slight bow to the west, and features a boarded timber floor, boarded timber dado panelling, and timber panelled doors. A modillioned cornice runs throughout, and the open boarded timber pitched roof is supported by hammerbeam supports on moulded springers. Various coats-of-arms are set between the roof timbers. Tiered timber seating abuts the walls. A timber balcony projects at upper level in the southern wall, featuring ball-finialled newels and a cross-braced front, with an arched opening centred behind. An adjoining room to the south has a square-plan timber columned arcade dividing the room into two sections, with timber panelled dado throughout and half-timbering above. A bar is located to the west, and a boarded timber dance floor is positioned to the east. Combed ceilings and timber panelled doors are present. A timber panelled vestibule is located to the south, and to the north, a restaurant is linked to the ballroom, featuring boarded timber dado panelling and a continuous upper balcony with plain cornices. A public bar is situated in the basement below.