Tor House, Ardencraig Road, Rothesay, Bute

Alexander Thomson, circa 1855. Asymmetrical, 2-storey, 3-bay Greek-detailed L-plan villa with 3-storey, squat Italianate tower at centre; single storey, flat-roofed entrance set in re-entrant angle to right; single storey service block at rear. Squared and snecked rubble sandstone; yellow sandstone ashlar dressings. Rubble plinth to front; shallow-pitched roofs; overhanging timber eaves (exposed rafter ends at tower); decorative bargeboards; consoled cast-iron brackets. Tooled sandstone quoins; tooled long and short surrounds to droved openings; flush cills; pilaster mullions at ground comprising moulded bases, anthemion detail beneath moulded capitals; plain capitals at 1st floor. Harl-pointed random rubble single storey, U-plan former service block adjoined at rear.

NE (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: steps to single storey entrance porch off-set to right of centre; anthemion-detailed frieze; curvilinear engraving set in droved surround 3-leaf timber panelled door; plate-glass fanlight. Central tower comprising single window at 1st floor; tripartite window aligned above. Projecting 3-light glazing row (drawing room) at ground in bay to outer left; decorative circular frieze; mannered parapet; anthemion corner detailing; cast-iron balustrade to 1st floor balcony; 5-light glazing row centred in finialed apex above. Single storey service block wings recessed to outer left and right.

SW (REAR) ELEVATION: single window at 1st floor off-set to left of centre main block. Projecting single storey former service wings to front comprising tripartite window centred beneath apex in gabled bay to outer left; boarded timber entrance in linking central wall (open courtyard behind); bipartite window centred beneath apex in gabled bay to outer right.

Predominantly replacement aluminium glazing. Graded grey slate piends and pitches; part corrugated-iron roof to rear service wing; replacement rainwater goods; wallhead stack to SE; circular flues; coped wallhead and apex stacks to SW; decorative cans.

INTERIOR: part-glazed vestibule door. Predominantly original timber panelled doors (similar stylised detailing as vestibule entry); decorative timber surrounds; timber skirting boards. Plaster ceiling-work (sun ray ceiling rose for ground floor day-room/lounge, moon and stars for 1st floor evening-room/drawing room - similar at Holmwood); embossed floral motifs; stylised egg-and-dart cornices; anthemion detailing. Curvilinear cast-iron uprights to stair; timber handrail; stair window set in slightly bowed wall (flat from exterior). Drawing room fireplace from demolished Alexander Thomson Glasgow office block.

BOUNDARY WALL, GATEPIERS AND GATES: coped harl-pointed random rubble wall to Ardencraig Road; square-plan piers flanking entrance; tooled quoins; stylised key-pattern frieze; pyramidal caps; cast-iron geometric-patterned gates.