Cassencarie House With Gate Piers And Walled Garden

Cassencarie House is a complex mansion comprising three major building campaigns, sited on high ground by the Cree estuary. It evolved from a late 16th to early 17th century L-plan tower house to a substantial classical mansion and finally to a Baronialised country house, though by 1989 it was largely roofless.

The tower house forms the southern part of the present building. It is built of rubble, formerly harled, with ashlar dressings. Despite later window insertions, evidence remains of 17th century roll-moulded openings of varying sizes. The western and southern returns show a battered base course. The tower house was possibly built by the Muirs, who held the lands from the 1580s.

In the early 19th century, a classical extension and re-facing was added to the west and north, transforming the building into a symmetrical 3-storey, 5-bay house. This work is constructed of rubble with ashlar dressings. The west elevation displays five bays, with three central bays recessed and outer bays advanced. A later 19th century ashlar porch with a blocking course and armorials occupies the re-entrant angle to the right, bearing the crest and motto of Sir James Caird. The fenestration is largely regular, including a tripartite window inserted at ground level on the outer left, and two floors of apparent windows above the first floor on the outer right (the former tower house). The north elevation includes a single bay, interrupted on the outer left by a low 2-storey service wing, now the Laird's Inn, which was added in the earlier to mid 19th century.

Later 19th century Baronial work added a 3-storey harled brick gabled addition to the south and east, featuring a 2-bay extension to the west. This addition includes a corbelled, candle snuffer bartizan and a round stair tower. Corbelled bartizan additions flank the crowstepped gable of the outer right bay of the main west elevation; the left bartizan is square in section with a balustrade and decorative stone finial. A roll-moulded door surround was inserted at ground level in place of a window.

A single storey rectangular block is linked to the north by a modern addition. It comprises an early 19th century gable block with snecked masonry and a ball-finialled, gabled bellcote (formerly a schoolroom), which was enlarged with a large window and original large slates. A later 19th century gabled addition features a boarded door and letterbox fanlight. Some original 12-pane sash and case windows are retained, though UPVC sash and case windows have been inserted in the Laird's Inn and one bay of the main house. The roofing consists of grey slate piend and pitched roofs. Stone chimney stacks with decorative cans serve the mansion house.

The mansion house was not seen inside in 1989, with entrances blocked by breeze blocks.

A pair of bull-faced Creetown granite gatepiers with ball finials guards the western drive. To the north of the house stands a rectangular-plan brick walled garden with ashlar coping, swept up at intervals. The garden features rusticated, corniced gatepiers with ball finials and decorative two-leaf iron gates. Evidence of former hot-houses remains visible on the internal walls. The walled garden currently serves as a putting green.

A stable block converted as residential, with regrettable glazing and roofing, lies to the north of the mansion house and east of the walled garden, now part of Cassencarie Holiday Park. The building is also referred to as Cassencary.