Pitfirrane Castle

Pitfirrane Castle

A 15th century towerhouse, possibly incorporating earlier fabric, remodelled in 1583 to create a 4-storey L-plan towerhouse. The building stands in a parkland and golf course setting, with golf course additions dating from 1953. The castle is harled with ochre-coloured limewash. Moulded eaves courses run to the turrets.

The west elevation features a central studded timber door with decorative hinges and a moulded ashlar door surround with horizontal hoodmould. An iron yett is fixed to the wall to the right of the door, though a later Golf Club House bar extends westward from the right wall end. Above the door sits an armorial panel bearing the Halkett coat of arms, supported by two hawks and inscribed with the Latin label "HONESTE VIVO" (Be Honest in Life). Central single windows occupy the 1st and 2nd floors, with 3rd floor windows to left and right. Corbelled corner turrets extend beyond these, each containing 3 windows. A central crowstepped gable wallhead crowns this elevation, with a central corniced gable-end stack.

The south elevation is largely obscured at ground floor by a flat-roofed, single storey, glazed and rendered extension serving as the Club House bar. Above this, 3 windows line the 1st floor with a smaller window to the right, whilst 2 windows occupy the 2nd floor. Three dormer windows with catslide roofs light the 3rd floor. A tall, advancing stair tower rises at the far right, partially hidden by the Club House bar. A blocked window lies between the 1st and 2nd floors, with single 2nd, 3rd and 4th floor windows to the left. The elevation terminates in a crowstepped gable wallhead with a corniced gable-end stack. In the left return, a single stained-glass window is positioned above an armorial panel displaying a shield supported by two falcons, inscribed with the motto "FIDDES SUFICIT" (Faith Always) and set in a moulded surround. A stained-glass window above bears a double coat of arms: the Royal Arms of Scotland in the upper panel and the Halkett and Hepburn arms in the lower panel, accompanied by a falcon and unicorn. Two family mottoes, "FIDES SUFICIT" and "GO TILL IT", flank initials "GH" and "IH" (George Halket and Isabel Hepburn, his wife) below the arms, with moulded surrounds. The date "1583" appears in the bottom margin. A single 3rd floor window centres above the armorial panel, topped by a 4th floor dormer window with a catslide roof. A stair-turret occupies the re-entrant angle, featuring 2 windows, a corbelled base, and a grotesque head at its lowest member.

The east elevation is similarly obscured at ground floor by the flat-roofed, single storey, glazed and rendered Club House bar extension. To the left, a stair tower displays a central catslide dormer window and crowstepped stair-tower gable wallheads with gable-end stacks. The crowstepped gable wall of the main house rises to the right, with 1st and 2nd floor windows to the left. An off-centre, advanced circular stair tower stands to the right, featuring a 1st floor stair tower window and a 3rd floor stair tower window in the north elevation, with a re-entrant window below. A corbelled base supports a small 3rd floor section in the left re-entrant angle. The tower displays a moulded eaves course and a slated pepper-pot roof topped with a weather-vane. A section of wall extending 3 storeys high reaches from the stair-tower leftward. A single storey section to the right of the Club House bar includes a door, above which a break in the flat wallhead houses an iron railing with attached bell. A blocked window sits to the right of the door. An advanced single storey Club House shop to the right features a large inset window at centre and an entrance door to the right. A blocked gable window appears in the left return. Dressed quoins, door and window surrounds, and moulded skewputts complete the elevation.

The north elevation features a shop at the far left with central paired windows and a small apex window above. A single storey connecting wing extends to the right, displaying a pedimented central window with a carved falcon in the tympanum and a carved flower finial. A 3-storey, single-bay crowstepped section rises to the right, containing single central ground, 1st and 2nd floor windows with rounded arises at ground and 1st floors, corbelled out at the base of the 2nd floor. A 3-storey circular stair tower extends further right, featuring a 1st floor window, a 2nd floor window to the right, a moulded eaves course, and a pepper-pot roof topped with a ball and spike finial. A gabled, single storey porch adjoins to the right, displaying a panel with moulded surround and carved falcon in the apex, with a door in the right return and chamfered surrounds. A single storey, balustraded section extends from the porch to the 3-storey crowstepped section, featuring curved corners, 4 windows in the north elevation, a blocked window in the right return, and chamfered surrounds to all openings. A bipartite ground floor window and door with chamfered surrounds occupy the house itself. Three 1st floor windows, 2 2nd floor windows to the left, 2 dormer windows to the 3rd floor and 1 dormer window to the right, with catslide roofs to all, complete this elevation. A 3rd storey angle turret stands at the far right.

Throughout the castle, predominantly 12-pane glazing sets timber sash and case windows. The roof is of grey slate. Pepper-pot roofs crown all circular stair towers and turrets, fitted with ball finials except for the sloping roof to the south re-entrant stair turret. Two wallhead chimneys stand on the north elevation. A coped ridge stack rises from the main house, with circular cans distributed throughout. The south gable of the Club House shop displays a raised, flat-headed skew with moulded eaves course and a crowstepped gable to the north with moulded skewputts. The weather-vane affixed to the east circular stair tower bears the initials PAH (Peter Arthur Halkett).

The interior of the castle features a vaulted ground floor. An arched door has been inserted into the ceiling space of the ground floor ladies' changing room, possibly leading to a former entresol level. The interior of the 16th century stair tower at the south-east of the house contains stone spiral steps, a green glass panel at the foot, and stained-glass windows decorated with cherubs and other figures alongside the Halkett coat of arms (one dated 1699), all set in late 19th century borders. Richly carved panels occupy the window splays, featuring a small carved head at centre. Further panelling adorns the entrance to the 1st floor dining room, displaying floral patterns copying the dining room window splay panelling and linen-fold patterning. A plaster falcon in a roundel decorates the staircase ceiling.

The ornately decorated dining room, originally the hall, displays later 16th century and 19th century oak panels in window splays, richly carved medallions featuring profiles of human heads in floral wreaths, gilded egg and dart margins to panels and at a bracketed cornice, panelled shutters, and carved female heads with swags on soffits. An arched panelled sideboard recess in the east wall is carved with ram, goat and human heads, foliage and eagles, whilst a chimneypiece in the west wall, dating to circa 1880s, is decorated with female heads and dolphins on the jambs. The ceiling is covered in plaster roundels and pendants painted with heraldic shields of the Halketts and their spouses, probably dating from the mid 19th century.

Entrance gatepiers are situated to the north-east of Pitfirrane Castle. These consist of rubble and harled quadrant walls with flat coping stones, terminating at the west with scrolled stone detail and a curvilinear wall. Two corniced gatepiers feature ashlar and faceted rustication, topped with swagged urns.

The castle has undergone significant 19th century additions by Wardrop and Hay and R L Hay to the north and east, with later 20th century single storey, flat-roofed Golf Club House additions to the east and south.