Steading, Pratis

This is a late 18th century farm steading, with alterations made in the 19th century, originally part of the Montrave estate. The farm complex was likely intended to be symmetrical, but the northern wing was never completed. The main farmhouse is a two-bay, two-story block with a pedimented front and a Roman Doric door surround on the right-hand side. A lower, two-story, single-bay wing extends to the south, featuring a Venetian window on the first floor. On the north side, where a matching wing would have been, is a late 19th century canted ground floor window. The building is constructed of whin rubble with ashlar dressings, quoins, and raised quoins between the central block and wing; small features in the stonework suggest a possible original central door. It has tall, panelled stacks and a slate roof, with a platform and cast-iron balustrade over the wing. Later rear wings and additions have been made.

The steading itself is a fine example of a Fife farm steading. The north range and part of the east range were built by 1796. It’s arranged around an L-shaped courtyard, with a large, rectangular, six-bay covered cattle court in the centre, constructed of whin rubble with long and short dressings. The north range includes a thrashing floor with a loft above, and a later engine house attached to the rear, all under a slate roof. The east range incorporates stabling and a five-bay cart shed. The central block consists of six linked ranges with piended, pantiled roofs and ventilators. A timber and slated bridge links this section to a loft range. References to the farm appear in the Survey of Pratis lands from 1796 and the West Register House Plans.