Oban Sheriff Court, Albany Street

David MacKintosh of Oban, 1886-1889. 2-storey, 5x2 bay, rectangular-plan, Italianate court house on prominent corner site with large round-arched windows at first floor and shorter 4-bay annex to rear (southeast) containing principal stair and offices. Sandstone ashlar to main block, channelled at ground. Base course, cill courses. Splayed, moulded window surrounds to round-arched first floor windows. Dentil cornice. Parapet above with pyramidal capped dies. 2-leaf, 6-panelled timber entrance doors set in pilastered door-piece with decorative consoles supporting cornice surmounted by urns and balustrade.

Predominantly squared and snecked granite with sandstone dressings to annex (rubble to south east gable elevation). Ground floor cill course continues from principal block to northeast. 3 windows to ground floor and 4 windows at first floor. Plain cornice at eaves surmounted by blocking course. Central bipartite stair window to centre of east gable elevation. Small window in gablehead.

8-pane glazing in round-arched timber sash and case windows. Predominantly 4-pane glazng in timber sash and case windows elsewhere. Square leaded coloured glass to bipartite stair window at southeast gable. Grey-slated, piended roof to front block, concealed by parapet. Intersecting grey slated, pitched roof to annex with skew copes at gable. Box gutters behind blocking courses. Cast iron downpipes with plain hoppers. Annex stacks at gable and ridge with square, panelled and modillioned cans

The interior, seen in 2014, has a vestibule screen by James G Falconer, 1911, 2-leaf timber doors with glazed upper panels and square-leaded lights to sides and above. Parquet flooring to entrance hall. Wide stone dog-leg stair with decorative cast iron balusters and timber handrail. 6-panel timber doors to offices from landing, timber door with replacement glazing in upper panel. Courtroom has coved ceiling with decorative cornice. Partially refurbished fixtures, circa 1990, with pine wainscoting, panelled timber bench with fretwork decoration of anthemion and palmette motifs. The main offices at ground and first floor level show evidence of corner fireplaces (now covered or infilled). Decorative 19th century gas-lamp fittings and brackets survive throughout the building.