Kirkmichael House, Parkgate

Kirkmichael House is a large, asymmetrical mansion house built in 1834, designed by William Burn. Minor alterations were made in 1912 by Barbour and Bowie. The house is built in a Jacobean style, characterized by mostly mullioned and transomed windows, with some canted or projecting windows, gables featuring slits or escutcheons, kneelers and ball finials. Dormer windows are topped with scrolled pediments. The substantial service range and outbuildings to the west are lower and partly single-storey, arranged around a courtyard. The house is constructed of stugged red sandstone with polished dressings.

The main entrance is located on the west end of the north wall, featuring a doorcase adorned with ball finials and a strap-worked pediment. A corbelled first-floor oriel, topped with an ornamental gable, is positioned to the left of the entrance. Conical-roofed, tall, narrow turrets are recessed at either end of the north elevation. An additional door is situated in the re-entrant angle between the west and south ranges. A string separates the ground and first floors and stacks are grouped with corniced diamond flues. The roof is covered in graded slates. The courtyard ranges have plain gabled dormer heads, and there's a segmental-arched cart opening facing east.

Inside, the principal ground floor rooms display ornamental cornice plasterwork and white marble chimney pieces with classical detail. The main staircase has a wrought-iron balustrade, likely the work of Barbour & Bowie.

A unique trough, possibly dating from the early 18th century, is set against the south wall, featuring a lion head mask. A keystone and pedimented stone have also been re-set in the courtyard. Original drawings are held by the National Records of Scotland. A ground plan by Barbour and Bowie is held by Sutherland Dickie and Copeland in Dumfries.