Balnacraig, 30 Albany Road, Dundee

Balnacraig is a large, Italianate-style villa of circa 1863, attributed to James MacLaren. It is roughly U-shaped, with a semi-basement and a three-stage tower. The building is constructed of sandstone, with some snecked rubble and random rubble at the rear, and has a grey slate roof. A base course, cill course at the first floor, painted quoins, and dressings are present. The windows are plate glass sash and case, with painted margins; some are bi- and tripartite, with moulded lintels. Tripartite bowed windows feature pilaster mullions, moulded parapets, and are found on the south and east elevations. Exposed rafter ends are visible at the gables, along with moulded coped stacks.

The west elevation is asymmetrical with five bays. A central entrance tower features keystoned and moulded arches at the first stage, leading to a panelled door, flanked by leaded windows and a tripartite fanlight. A moulded frieze is situated at the second stage, with smooth rusticated quoins. Paired round-headed windows have moulded architraves and keystones on the south and west sides. A dentilled wallhead course and exposed rafters at the deep eaves are present, topped with a shallow pyramidal roof and cast-iron finials. A recessed bay to the right features a bipartite window and a blank heraldic panel at ground floor, with two windows above. A slightly advanced gabled bay at the far right has a corniced bow window at ground floor and a bipartite window above. An advanced gabled bay to the left of the tower incorporates a tripartite window at ground floor and a bipartite window at first floor. A single-storey service bay is located at the far left, with a gablehead bipartite window breaking through the eaves.

The south elevation is also asymmetrical, with five bays, and has three recessed bays at the centre, each with a window at ground and first floor. Advanced gables are located to the left and right, the left gable having a corniced bow window at ground floor and a tripartite window at first floor, while the right gable has a bipartite window at the first floor.

The east elevation has four bays, with two recessed at the centre, containing a modern door on the left and a window on the right, alongside two windows at the first floor. Advanced gables are positioned on the left and right, the left gable featuring a tripartite window at ground floor (the moulded lintel having been removed) and a bipartite window at first floor, while the right gable has a bipartite window at ground and first floor.

The north elevation incorporates four bays and is asymmetrical. A recessed bay at the centre contains a tripartite stair window. Advanced bays are situated on the left and right, the left bay containing a single border-glazed window at the first floor, paired with two windows on the return elevation, and the right bay featuring a single-storey projection at ground floor and two windows at first, as well as a door and two windows on the return elevation. A modern keystoned round-headed arch links the left and right bays.

The interior retains original marble and timber fireplaces throughout. Good plasterwork is found in the public rooms, with columns and pilasters in the hall, featuring Corinthian capitals. An Imperial staircase has a panelled balustrade, a border-glazed stair window with stained glass and a heraldic centre window. Oak panelling is in the drawing room, and the newel stair to the tower room features turned balusters.