Craig-Gowan, 42 Camphill Road, Broughty Ferry, Dundee

Craig-Gowan is a large two-storey house with basement, designed by architects James MacLaren and George Shaw Aitken and dated 1878. It stands on falling ground near Camphill Road in Broughty Ferry and was built for James Mudie.

The house follows a near-rectangular plan with asymmetrical French chateau-style architecture. It is constructed in snecked rubble with ashlar quoins, dressings and stacks, some of which are pointed. The roof is slate, featuring steeply pitched M-shaped platform roofs with a pavilion roof at the south-west corner. Windows are plate glass sash and case with chamfered reveals, and there are cill courses at ground and first floor and an eaves course on the south and west elevations. Bracketed eaves and pilastered dormerhead windows with cast-iron finials are prominent features throughout.

The west elevation is the principal façade, comprising three bays in asymmetrical arrangement. A round-headed keystoned doorpiece at the left features strapwork carving in a cavetto surround with cable moulding, with a ten-field panelled door and plate glass fanlight. Flanking the door are massive elongated fluted consoles which, together with two smaller consoles, support a bipartite rectangular oriel breaking the eaves line. A central granite colonette serves the oriel window with nook shafts and a corniced arcaded parapet with finials. To the right is a tripartite window at ground floor with steps to the basement, and a larger advanced rectangular tripartite window above. Two pilastered and gabled dormerhead windows occupy the first floor, with the central window being larger and featuring paired octagonal-section stacks. A banded segmental-arched gateway adjoins at the far left, set within a crenellated pediment bearing a heraldic shield inscribed '1878'.

The south elevation contains three bays. The centre bay has a single window at basement level, paired windows with mannered surrounds at principal floor, and a gabled, corniced and pilastered dormerhead at first floor. Several windows feature cast-iron railing guards and balconies. To the right are bipartite basement windows flanked by consoles in a plainer variant of those on the west elevation, supporting a rectangular tripartite oriel and bipartite gabled dormerhead at first floor.

The east elevation is plainer in treatment. A slightly advanced gable at the right incorporates basement stairs, a tripartite window at principal floor, and a single dormerhead window, with a wallhead stack to the left return. To the left are a door and two basement windows, two irregular windows at principal floor, a dormerhead above, and a wallhead stack at the left.

The north elevation is plain, with a lean-to at ground level to the left containing two doors and asymmetrical fenestration.

The boundary walls and gatepiers are notable features. Three stop-chamfered gatepiers with conical caps are set at an angle, with coped rubble walls fronting Camphill Road and Whinnybrae.

The interior is largely original throughout. The entrance porch has a pattern encaustic tile floor and panelled dado. The hall contains a six-pane stained glass window (one panel missing) and a wrought-iron and gauze radiator cover. A large square-plan central stairwell features an ornate stone sculpted chimneypiece with gilt decoration, panelled dado, cantilevered well stair with bracketed landing, lincrusta moulding, and elaborately carved panelled balusters with large urn finials at the corners. Two of these finials incorporate column lamps at the landing. A moulded cornice, ceiling decoration and richly patterned stained glass top-light complete this impressive space.

The drawing room contains a marble chimneypiece, a richly moulded arch to the west window with panelled window jambs, and a painted floral cornice and rose. A timber panelled chimneypiece features bookshelves with carved cornices.

The dining room has timber panelled dado, window jambs and doorpieces. A sculpted stone-bracketed strip timber ceiling and cornice spans the room, with a timber galleried segmental-arched alcove containing a carved chimneypiece with paired elongated consoles and overmantle, decorated with much stencilled detail.

First-floor bedrooms include marble chimneypieces.