Kilbowie House, Oban

Kilbowie House, Oban

Kilbowie House is a later 19th-century mansion in the Scots-Baronial style, asymmetrical and of approximately L-plan. The main block is 5 bays, 2 storeys with an attic over a concealed basement. A single-storey service wing with basement and a square tower to the south complete the composition, along with a projecting conservatory to the north. The building is constructed of bull-faced, squared and snecked red sandstone with rusticated basement and droved dressings. A projecting basement storey features a staggered string course rising to attic floor level.

The south-east elevation, which faces the entrance, comprises 5 bays. The entrance door to the principal floor sits at bay 3, with a crowstepped stone dormerhead breaking the eaves at the second floor above. A 3-storey square stair tower stands at the outer left bay, featuring a staggered tripartite stair window at principal floor level with a corresponding string course above. The tower displays a bipartite window at the second stage with a corniced cill and ball-finialled dies flanking the lintel, and another bipartite window at the third stage with string course above, articulated to open beneath a ball-finialled pediment. A heavily bracketed cornice with rope-moulding and waterspouts supports a crenellated parapet. The bay immediately left of the entrance contains a narrow window to the principal floor with crowstepped stone dormerheads breaking the eaves at the second floor. To the right of the entrance, narrow windows occupy the principal and first floors only. The two outer right bays feature a crowstepped gabled return of the north-east front, incorporating a 3-light canted oriel window that is corbelled and bracketed with a crenellated parapet. A single window centring the gablehead, with a staggered string course above, corresponds with a circular corbelled bartizan at the corner of the second floor to the right, which features bracketed eaves.

The north-east elevation presents 4 bays. The first bay has a bipartite dormer window breaking the eaves with a crowstepped stone dormerhead and staggered string course at sill level. A bipartite window at principal floor, bay 2, is partially obscured by a projecting timber conservatory with a modern plastic pitched roof, with a relieving arch visible in the wall behind. A crowstepped gablet breaking the eaves above contains a clock set on a square tablet with string course above and a corbelled stack at the apex. A bipartite window to bay 3 is similarly partially obscured by the conservatory. A circular 4-storey, 5-light tower at the corner to the right displays a band course at first floor and string course at third floor sill level.

The north-west (rear) elevation spans 4 bays, with a corner tower at the first bay and a large crowstepped gable to the right corresponding to that on the principal elevation. A 3-storey, 3-light canted bay window occupies bay 4, featuring a bipartite window at basement level and a crenellated parapet. Stone dormerheads with crowstepped details and thistle finials break the eaves to bays 3 and 4, with a bipartite window at bay 4.

The service wing is a 5-bay, single-storey structure with a crenellated parapet above a rope-moulded string course. The first bay contains a circular stair tower centring the south-west wall, with a window at principal floor level. Bays 2 through 4 each have three closely spaced narrow windows. Bay 5 contains an entrance door with a modern chevron-boarded and slated porch.

All openings feature plate glass timber sash and case windows. Windows in the south elevation of the main block retain original chain-hung timber sash double glazing. The main entrance has a 2-leaf timber door with glazed upper panels and a plate glass fanlight above. The south wing entrance has a modern panelled door. The roof is finished in grey slate with bellcast conical bartizan roofs featuring fish-scale banding and finials. A large 18-pane skylight lights the billiard room. Cast-iron downpipes and profiled gutters serve the eaves, including the turrets. A 4-storey cast-iron external spiral stair with landings provides access to north tower windows at each floor, with decorative balusters. Bull-faced, squared and snecked sandstone stacks, all corniced with octagonal cans except for a plain cope to the south stack, rise from the structure.

Interior

The basement retains vertically-boarded timber wainscoting and 4-panel doors. A timber spiral stair serves the service wing, and a dumb waiter with intact workings and stone shelves remains in the larder.

The ground (principal) floor features a chevron-boarded pine-lined entrance hall with a coffered ceiling. An elaborately carved chimneypiece with overmantel containing 3 mirrors and a marble and tiled surround frames a cast-iron free-standing grate. 6-panel doors, an integral writing desk, and a shelved recess occupy the south-east corner. The stone stair, except for the timber upper flight, has turned, fluted balusters and ball finials at newels. Panelled shutters flank the windows, with roll-moulded arch surrounds and a rich ceiling cornice. Rooms to the north-east are panelled with grained shutters, strapwork ceilings, and decorative cornices.

The first floor features 4-panel doors (some grained), window shutters, and floral cornices throughout. The billiard room occupies the north corner, with timber-lined walls and a red marble basket-arched fireplace. 6-panel doors open from the room, and a chevron-boarded panelled ceiling with carved roses at centres is lit by an 18-pane skylight at the centre. Clock workings remain in a cupboard at the north-east wall.

The site includes a bull-faced, coped retaining wall and basement area to the south-east of the south wing. Service tunnels extend along the length of the east wall, with an additional tunnel traversing the drive to the north of the house and accessing an area adjacent to the conservatory. The tunnels feature rubble side walls and brick barrel-vaulted ceilings. A bull-faced, crenellated wall fronts the sea-facing terrace with mock bastions at the corners, accessed by stone steps with modern railings at the north end.