Lochinch Castle

Lochinch Castle is a grand Baronial castle with French detailing, designed by the architects Brown and Wardrop and built between 1864 and 1868 for John Hamilton, 10th Earl of Stair. It is constructed in cream Lancashire sandstone and rises two storeys with an attic and basement — the basement fully exposed on the side and rear elevations. The building has an asymmetrical plan of thirteen bays. Windows break the eaves line within pedimented gables, tympana carry carved motifs, and finials punctuate the roofline throughout. The small timber bargeboarded attic windows were carved by James Annandale. The roof is grey slate, with fishscale slates to the angle turrets, corniced gablehead and ridge stacks, and circular cans. Windows are predominantly 2- and 6-pane timber sash and case.

The castle is particularly notable for the consistent emphasis placed on its windows, which are highlighted by aedicules with banded attached columns or pilasters — a recurring motif across all elevations. The architectural character combines a relaxed Baronial manner with French details in an unusual and accomplished way.

NORTHWEST (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION

The entrance elevation is asymmetrical, with bays arranged in a grouping of 1-1-3-1-4-1-1-1. The entrance porch is the focal centrepiece: steps rise to an advanced, off-centre crowstepped gabled porch whose entrance piers are topped by rampant Baroque lions carved by John Rhind. The handrail is carried on squat square balusters, and the entrance itself is a rope-moulded segmental arch. Above the door, within a stepped shouldered architrave, sits a heraldic panel bearing the arms of the 10th Earl of Stair and his wife, carved by John Rhind from a drawing by Henry Laing. The two-leaf timber door is framed by inscriptions within the shouldered architrave reading 'Stet Fortuna Domus' and 'Peace be within thy walls'. Directly above this, an aediculed banded column window is aligned with a segmental pediment topped by finials and a tympana motif carved in high relief. A single window lights the gablehead, with a square panel above. Conical-roofed angle turrets flank the porch, with small single windows and barley sugar spouts to the inner angles, and a lion finial at the apex.

The right re-entrant angle of the porch has a shouldered tripartite window at ground level, a rose motif carved in high relief to the panel above, two single windows at first floor, and a central panel bearing the inscription 'Do Weil And Breid Noght'. A single window rises to the crowstepped gable, with a lion finial at the apex, and an angle turret and gargoyle to the outer left. The left re-entrant angle of the porch is blind.

To the right of the entrance porch, bays are grouped 4-1-1-1. Squat square balusters run along the basement level. There are five windows at basement and ground floor, with an additional small window to the right of the penultimate window at basement level. An aediculed banded column window at the centre of the ground floor has a segmental pediment topped by finials and a foliage motif carved in high relief to the tympana. Four single windows at first floor break the eaves line, with finials flanking the pediments and at the apex, and a single central bargeboarded window at attic level. An advanced square-plan tower with a French pavilion roof stands to the right; at ground floor level a plaque reads 'Firme Quiescam', with a coat of arms aligned above and a single window at attic. The interior angle of this tower has bipartite windows at basement and first floor, and single windows at ground and attic floors. The penultimate bay to the right has regular fenestration to all floors, a crowstepped gable, and an aediculed banded column window at first floor with a segmental pediment topped by finials and a foliage motif carved in high relief to the tympana. The outermost recessed bay to the right has a single window at ground level, a square plaque above, and a single window breaking the eaves at attic level, with an angle turret to the outer right.

To the left of the entrance porch, bays are grouped 1-1-3. At basement level there are four windows, with a smaller window to the outer right of the three-bay group, and a timber door with a three-light fanlight to the left. Three single windows occupy the ground floor (non-aligned), and three single windows the first floor, with the outer two forming pedimented dormers. The central window at first floor is aediculed with banded columns, a segmental pediment topped by finials, and a foliage motif carved in high relief to the tympana. The central bay rises to a crowstepped gable, with a single window at attic level and flanking bargeboarded attic windows. The advanced crowstepped gabled penultimate bay to the left has single windows at basement, ground, and first floors; an aediculed banded column window at first floor with a segmental pediment topped by finials and a foliage motif carved in high relief to the tympana; and a square panel above at the gablehead. The outermost bay to the left has steps down to a timber door with a tripartite letterbox fanlight at basement level, with a single window aligned above. Attached crenellated walling to the outer left, incorporating arrow slits and spouts, forms part of what is now a largely demolished service range.

SOUTHWEST (SIDE) ELEVATION

The southwest elevation has three bays. The outer bays have crowstepped gables with conical-roofed angle turrets and quatrefoil piercings, and single windows. Bay windows occupy the basement and ground floors — canted to the left bay — with ball finials to the parapets (shallow crenellation to the right bay), and single windows at first floor and attic. The central bay has a bipartite window at basement, a tripartite window at ground floor with a balustrade above, a tripartite window at first floor, and an aediculed banded column single window at attic level with carved motifs to the tympana and a Jacobean pediment topped by finials. A two-bay re-entrant angle to the left includes a crowstepped gable to the left bay with flanking gargoyles. Steps and a balustrade lead to a timber door with a single window to the left; a square plaque above is dated 1864, with single windows aligned above at ground and first floor. Single windows occupy the basement, ground, first, and attic floors of the left bay, with the basement window non-aligned.

SOUTHEAST (REAR) ELEVATION

The rear elevation is grouped 2-3-2. The two-bay section to the outer left has an M-shaped gable with gargoyles to the outer left and right. French windows with a fanlight occupy the centre of a canted bay rising from basement to ground floor. A canted bay window at ground floor has a balustraded parapet with ball finials. Both bays have single windows at first and attic floors, with a conical-roofed angle turret to the outer left (continuing from the southwest elevation).

The central three-bay section has bipartite windows at basement level and an additional single window to the left. A Jacobean imperial stair leads to the central ground floor window, which is framed by aediculed banded columns supporting a frieze decorated with coroneted S's and C's — standing for Stair and de Coigny — and the date 1867. Flanking single windows occupy the ground floor. Three windows at first floor break the eaves line, with an inscription to the apron of the central window; the central window is shaped and topped by a small statue of a 17th century soldier. Two flanking timber dormers appear at attic level, with the right one being bipartite.

To the right, a three-storey block with attic and basement forms a two-bay square-plan tower. It has a canted ground floor oriel window, two single windows at first floor, and a single window at second floor. A machicolated battlement with rope moulding and cannon spouts runs at the top. An aediculed banded column window sits within a crowstepped gabled attic, and single windows light the conical-roofed turrets to the southwest, southeast (elongated), and northeast corners, with a flat-roofed round turret to the northwest corner.

The remainder of the southeast elevation is obscured behind the surviving walls of the service range. To the east, a small tower formerly served as an ice house: it has a broached square plan, an octagonal stone roof, and gryphons protruding at eaves course level.

SERVICE RANGE AND BOWLING ALLEY

The service range to the northeast of the house is now roofless and gutted. Its crenellated walls are pierced by slit windows, with angle rounds and cannon spouts. A bowling alley lies to the east.

INTERIOR

The interior retains numerous original features including decorative plasterwork, timberwork, cornices, and fireplaces.

BOUNDARY WALLS AND GATES

Various low boundary walls, many with decorative piers and finials, enclose the site. Decorative iron gates open to the sunken garden.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

The castle was built for John Hamilton, 10th Earl of Stair. His entry in Burke's Peerage describes him as: Knight of the Thistle, Doctor of Laws, Deputy Lieutenant and Justice of the Peace for the county of Lanark; Lord Lieutenant for the county of Wigtown and formerly for the county of Ayr; Captain of the Royal Company of Archers (the King's Bodyguard for Scotland); High Commissioner to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland 1869–71; formerly a Captain in the Scots Guards; Member of Parliament for the county of Wigtown 1841–56; Chancellor of Glasgow University. He was born 1 April 1819 and married on 9 December 1846 Louisa Jane Henrietta Emily de Franquetot (died 30 June 1896), eldest daughter of Augustin Louis Joseph Casimir Gustave, Duc de Coigny — by his wife Henrietta Dundas Dalrymple Hamilton — and had issue, together with three daughters who died unmarried. The coroneted S's and C's on the rear elevation frieze, alongside the date 1867, refer to the Stair and de Coigny family connections.

The castle is listed as a group with Lochinch Stable Court. The wider Lochinch Heritage Estate includes numerous other listed structures: Balker Farmhouse, Balker Lodge, Black Loch Boathouse, Black Stables Cottage, Canal Cottage, Castle Kennedy, Castle Kennedy Bridge, Castle Kennedy gatepiers, gates and boundary walls, Castle Kennedy Lodge, Castle Kennedy Walled Garden, East Lodge, Garden Cottage, Ice House, Kennels, Kennels House, Kitchen Garden, Lochinch Stable Court, Main Lodge, Main Lodge gatepiers, gates and boundary walls, Old Parish Church, Old Parish Church graveyard, three Sundials, and White Loch Boathouse.