Pitreavie Castle

Pitreavie Castle is an early to earlier 17th-century tower house substantially remodelled and extended in 1885 by the architect C G H Kinnear, with a further mid-20th-century addition. The original building follows a U-plan over three storeys and attic. In 1885, the south elevation was rebuilt and a lower two-storey-and-attic wing added to the east; a two-storey section was added further east in the mid-20th century.

The original house presents a more or less symmetrical principal (north) elevation with semicircular-plan turnpike stairtowers at the re-entrant angles and a pedimented entrance of Renaissance design. The late 19th-century extensions and alterations adopt a similar, slightly baronial style with pedimented windows. The original section is built of coursed dressed (partially stugged) sandstone with ashlar dressings; the late 19th-century work uses coursed stugged sandstone with droved ashlar dressings; the mid-20th-century addition is rendered. A band course runs above the ground floor of the main building (covering both original and late 19th-century sections), with an eaves cornice above. Openings to the main building are architraved: those in the original block are mainly plain, while the late 19th-century openings are either chamfered (for less prominent ones) or have roll-moulded inner surrounds. The gables are coped with moulded projecting skewputts; the coping scrolls at the apex to the original gable ends of the original block.

North (Entrance) Elevation

A square-plan flat-roofed entrance porch projects more or less centrally from the main building, extending across the entire width of the remodelled east wing of the original block. Steps (with low flanking panelled walls at the apex) lead up to the pedimented entrance, which has an architrave carved with thistles and an inner roll-moulding. The frieze above is carved with the date 1885 and the initials 'H B' (for Henry Beveridge); a coat of arms bearing the motto 'Dum Spiro Spero' appears in the pediment above. The porch is corniced and surmounted by a balustrade. A window appears to the right return; a slightly lower-height wall screening a service section adjoins to the left; three windows appear to the right where a flat-roofed section behind adjoins the main building. A small pavilion with a lead ogee roof adjoins to the outer left, with a small window and an entrance to its left return. A segmental-headed entrance to an open passageway to the service area adjoins to the left return.

A pilastered mullioned and transomed sexpartite stair window is set back behind the entrance porch, pedimented above a corniced frieze and with flanking flower finials at the base and a star-finialled apex. An attic window with a roll-moulded architrave and a flower-finialled semicircular pediment appears in the gable above.

The main body of the original block is set back to the right. Alternate paired and single windows appear on each floor: paired shallow windows at ground level, a window centred above, and paired windows with moulded architraves (with inner roll-moulding) to the second floor. Between the second-floor windows is a carved panel of a coat of arms (of the Wardlaw family) in a moulded surround (the panel apparently replaced or recarved). An inserted pedimented breaking-eaves dormer with a thistle-head finial appears above (renewed stonework below indicates the position of the original; the moulded architrave is copied from the windows below).

Circular-plan stair turrets with finialled conical roofs stand at the re-entrant angles to the wings on either side. Each is corbelled out at first-floor level with an arrowhead opening below and windows at the two upper levels. A former window appears on each of the upper floors to the inner returns of the wings; all are blocked apart from that to the second floor of the right wing. Closed garderobes project slightly to the inner side of the second floor of each wing, adjoining the stair turret.

A pedimented entrance with an inner roll-moulding to the architrave appears to the inner return of the right wing. The pediment is carved with foliage and the initials 'S H W' (for Sir Henry Wardlaw) and is surmounted by a star finial. The timber door has lugged panels; an iron yett stands behind. The former identical opposite entrance to the left wing was replaced with a late 19th-century window.

A window appears on each floor to the projecting gable end of the right wing; that to the first floor is blocked and that to the ground floor enlarged.

The 1885 extension is set back slightly to the left of the left wing. A mullioned bipartite secondary stair window appears to the two upper levels to the right. A pedimented breaking-eaves dormer with a thistle-head finial appears above, with a window below to the left. A flush gabled section adjoins to the left (with coping scrolled at the apex). Two windows appear to the ground and first floors (those at ground floor set back behind a screen wall with an entrance to the service quarters with a roll-moulded surround to a flat-roofed section at right angles to the right). A flower-finialled pedimented window is centred to the second floor, with an arrowhead opening to the gable above. The mid-20th-century section is set back to the outer left.

South Elevation

The rebuilt symmetrical five-bay elevation of the original block appears to the left. The central three-bay section is set forward at the lower two floors and surmounted by a balustrade. Each bay is framed by pilasters at ground floor and attached Corinthian columns (surmounted by an entablature) at first floor. A window appears on each floor to each bay; those to the first floor are transomed bipartites. Windows are set back to the outer bays at the upper floors; those to the attic are star-finialled pedimented breaking-eaves dormers; a blank panel is centred below.

Gable end bays (extended from the wings) project to either side, each with a thistle-head finial. The lower two floors are canted at the centre and surmounted by a balustrade. A mullioned bipartite appears to the outer face at ground floor; a canted mullioned and transomed eight-light window above. A window appears on each floor above: mullioned bipartites to the second floor, and pedimented windows with flower finials to the attic.

The two-bay 1885 addition is set back slightly to the right, with a band course to the first floor. Paired windows appear to each bay at ground floor. A window appears on each floor to each bay, apart from the ground floor which has paired windows to each bay. Transomed bipartites appear to the first floor; pedimented breaking-eaves windows to the second floor (that to the right is a transomed bipartite with a flower finial; that to the left is a mullioned and transomed quadripartite); attic dormers with catslide roofs above. The mid-20th-century addition adjoins or projects to the outer right.

West Elevation

The original block extends slightly to the outer right. A window appears on each of the upper floors to the left; that to the first floor is enlarged as a mullioned bipartite. A small inserted window appears to the right of each of the windows above; an inserted window to the ground floor below. A gabled bay to the right has an inserted window to each of the upper floors; that to the first floor is a canted tripartite oriel with a corbelled base and ashlar roof. A blocked window is visible to the left of the attic. A small inserted window appears to the ground floor.

East Elevation

The lower floors of the 1885 section are largely obscured by the mid-20th-century addition. A gabled bay to the left has a rectangular-plan mullioned tripartite oriel with an ashlar roof visible set back to the second floor, with an arrowhead opening above. The right bay is set back slightly; a second-floor breaking-eaves dormer with a catslide roof to the left, and a small window to the right.

Windows, Roofs and Chimneys

The windows are predominantly four-, six- and eight-pane timber sash and case windows. The roofs are grey slate. Gablehead stacks appear to either side (east and west) of the main body of the original building (with a ridge stack in between) and to the original gable ends of the two wings (north side). A replacement wallhead stack with a panelled base and defined flues appears to the south; two gablehead stacks to the 1885 section (north and east sides). These are mainly coped throughout; those to the main body of the original section have band courses; the replacement to the south is corniced with a frieze; round cans. Mainly late 19th-century cast-iron rainwater goods are present, with some hoppers bearing embossed patterns.

Interior

The interior was largely remodelled in 1885 when the original ground-floor vaulting was removed and the main staircase removed from the west wing. It retains fine internal fixtures and fittings of this date, mainly of 'Jacobethan' design.

The timber open-well main staircase has a turned timber balustrade and decorative newel posts, as well as a panelled dado and heraldic stained glass to the stair window. The original stone steps were retained to the west turnpike but replaced with timber ones to the east turret.

A segmental-headed recess with a bench-height stone shelf is set within the original entrance lobby, said to have been a seating area for those awaiting alms (a 'beggars' seat').

The main first-floor corridor has a timber dado, panelled doors and decorative doorcases with embossed decoration to the partially barrel-vaulted ceiling. The rooms opening off the corridor to the south are of especial note, with timber panelling and dados. One (since subdivided) has a tiled and marble fireplace surround with flanking marble columns and a decorative overmantel rising to the ceiling, ornate pilasters over the panelling and a decorative embossed frieze with putti. One has a built-in buffet and a tiled fireplace surround with an elaborately carved overmantel. One ('The Chapel') has designs and moralistic quotations inscribed around and above the panelling. One (extended into the mid-20th-century addition) has an elaborate buffet recess.

A mosaic floor in ancient Roman style appears in the main entrance porch.