Lochnaw Castle

Lochnaw Castle

This Grade A listed building is an L-plan castle comprising a late 16th century tower house and an L-plan range of 1663. Formerly it had a U-plan layout around a courtyard, with a northern range added in 1704 (demolished circa 1953). A large neo-Tudor two-storey house was added to the west by Archibald Elliot in 1822, but this was almost completely demolished circa 1953. The surviving structure consists of a four-storey and attic tower house to the south-east, a two-storey and attic range adjoined to the west, and the foundations of the 1822 house forming a terrace to the west.

TOWER HOUSE

The tower house is square-plan, four storeys with a cap-house attic, built of washed rubble with sandstone dressings and grey slates. The courtyard (north) elevation features windows to the first, second and third floors to the left, with small stair windows to the second and third floors to the right, and between the first and second floors to the outer right. At ground floor level, an enclosure adjoins the tower with a depressed-arched doorway to the left to the north, and two blocked segmental-arched openings to the west. The east elevation is blank. The south elevation has a small window to the right of centre at ground floor level, a window with cusped lintel to the left of centre at first floor (with a panel apparently inscribed "Dom Andreas Agnev 1426. Nomen Domini Fortissima Turris", probably inserted at a later date and now illegible), and a small gun loop below this. A window sits at the centre at second floor and to the left of centre at third floor. The west elevation adjoins the lower 1663 range, with an off-set stack at the centre, a crowstepped gable of the cap-house to the left with a small window, and a small window to the right at parapet level.

A corbelled crenellated parapet runs around the north, east and south elevations, wrapping around to the west. The parapet at the centre of the north elevation is projected on corbels to form a machicolation. The parapet is corbelled out at the centre of the east elevation around a tall corniced stack. Water spouts above moulded corbelling appear on the north, east and south elevations. A crowstepped gabled cap-house is positioned at the north-west with a door to the east. A parapet walk runs around the north, east and south sides, from the north-west angle to the south-west angle.

The interior comprises a single apartment to each floor. A turnpike stair is positioned in the north-west angle. The ground floor is barrel-vaulted. At second floor level is a fireplace with moulded jambs. A stone grill between a salt-box and fireplace is located at first floor level. Beams from former painted ceilings survive.

L-PLAN WING TO SOUTH AND WEST

The L-plan wing dates to 1663; the south range was probably remodelled from a late 16th century wing. It is three storeys with the second floor breaking the eaves. Windows display a variety of glazing patterns, including some 12-pane glazing in sash and case windows, and some 4-pane fixed glazing. The roof is covered in slightly graded grey slates.

South Range

The south elevation comprises six irregularly spaced bays. Three bays to the right are washed rubble, while three bays to the left are rendered and lined. Windows are asymmetrically disposed to each bay at each floor, except in the bay to the left at ground floor and two small windows at ground floor in the bay to the right of centre. Gabled dormerheads with leaded roofs crown the windows at second floor; these dormerheads are inscribed with initials and armorial bearings. A small window with remains of a cavetto-moulded surround is located at the outer right at first floor. Buttresses dating from circa 1822 flank the bay to the left of centre. A crowstepped skew is positioned at the centre. Stacks with coped tops are rubble to the ridge at the centre and left of centre, and harled to the west gablehead.

On the courtyard (north) elevation, a tall circular stair tower stands at the centre with a door to the north-east featuring a roll-moulded margin and a moulded panel above, apparently formerly inscribed "Nisi Dominus Frustra" (now illegible). Small windows are positioned above at first and second floors, breaking the eaves with a swept dormerhead. The tower is crowned by a conical roof with a leaded finial. To the left of the tower are two windows at ground floor, and a small rubble enclosure adjoins to the left, with a later four-light window above and a small window to the left at first floor. Two windows at second floor feature gabled dormerheads, one to the left inscribed "SAA 1663" and one to the right inscribed "DAS". To the right of the tower is a window at ground floor, two windows at first floor, and a window at second floor with a swept dormerhead.

West Range

The west elevation was formerly adjoined to the 1822 house and was remodelled circa 1953. It is harled with concrete margins. The gable of the south range appears to the right, with a window to the right and a French window to the left at ground floor, and a small oculus in a square opening to the right in the gablehead. A carved shield sits at the apex. A door and three windows are positioned at ground floor to the left.

The north elevation is harled with concrete margins, featuring a crenellated blocking course raised to a gable at the centre. A small arched opening sits at the centre at ground floor. Windows are positioned to the left and right of centre at ground and first floors, with a window to the left at ground floor. A bipartite window is centred at second floor, with a carved shield set in a panel in the gablehead above. The gable is raised as a plinth, surmounted by a sculpture of an eagle. A three-stage circular tower adjoins to the left, constructed of washed rubble with a moulded string course between the second and third stages. Narrow windows face north at first and third stages, north-east at second stage, and east and west between the first and second stages. The tower has a corbelled eaves course, a conical roof with swept eaves, and a leaded ball and spike finial.

On the courtyard (east) elevation, a door is positioned to the left of centre, with a window to the right and a small window to the far left at ground floor. Five windows are arranged at first floor, and three windows at second floor; ball-finialled gabled dormerheads top the windows to the left and right, while a pedimented dormerhead crowns the window at the centre, with a moulded panel containing a carved shield in the tympanum and a shouldered die surmounted by a sculpture of an eagle to the ridge of the dormerhead behind. The range continues to the east to the right, with a door, a window at first floor and a ball-finialled dormerhead inscribed "restored 1882" to the window at second floor to the south return. The blank gabled east elevation has a coped ashlar gablehead stack.

The interior features good late 17th or early 18th century dadoes and doors at first floor levels.

TERRACE

Situated to the west, the terrace contains remains of the 1822 house to basement level, constructed of squared and snecked rubble with red sandstone margins to blocked basement windows. A red sandstone latticed parapet with small ball-finialled square piers surrounds most of the terrace, with brick parapet to some parts. A canted ashlar loggia to the north features segmental-arched openings. Various gabled dormerheads and carved shields from the 1822 house are scattered around.

GATEPIERS

Nineteen-century gatepiers are positioned to the east of the courtyard. A pair of square ashlar corniced gatepiers with large ball finials stands at the entrance. A cast-iron fleur-de-lis gate is attached to the north pier, while the gate to the south pier has been removed. The south pier adjoins an enclosure to the south, forming a screen wall, and was formerly accompanied by a screen wall to the north.

COURTYARD

A low rubble wall runs around the courtyard to the north and east. An ashlar birdcage bellcote from the 1704 wing is set at the north-east angle of the wall, with corniced, stepped capping and a ball finial. The bell is inscribed "John C Wilson, Founder, Glasgow 1864". A stone inscribed "1704" from the 1704 wing is set into the wall beside the bellcote.

MONUMENT

Situated to the north-west of Lochnaw Castle is a monument dating from circa 1883. It is constructed of polished granite, with a pedestal on a stepped base surmounted by an urn. The west face of the pedestal is inscribed "Louisa Noel D of Charles 1st Earl of Gainsborough, Lady of Lochnaw 1849-1883", with a biblical quotation. The east face is inscribed "The Lady Louisa Agnew designed this garden AD 1858".

PAVILION

An earlier 20th century pavilion is situated to the south of Lochnaw Castle. It is five-sided with the sixth side open to the north, clad in logs and roofed with grey slates to a piended roof. A three-light window with six-pane metal-framed glazing faces the north-west and north-east, with the roof angled over these faces. A window opening faces south.