Stables, Luscar House, Gowkhall

Luscar House is a large, two-story Jacobethan villa, originally built in an L-shape in 1838 by David Bryce, and extended to the east between 1890 and 1891 by Robert Rowand Anderson. It is an en suite composition, distinguished by crowsteps. The house is constructed of grey sandstone ashlar with a base course and chamfered arrises. It features gabled dormerheads and stone mullions.

The north elevation presents principal bays recessed to the right, featuring a canted window at ground level and a window above to the left. A two-story gabled bay projects to the center, originally with a tripartite window at ground level that was later altered to a doorway and a window above. A recessed bay is on the outer right, with a former porch incorporating shoulder-arched and keystoned openings, which are now blocked and have windows set in the re-entrant angle; a chimneybreast is advanced on the gable behind. Later additions extend to the outer left, merging with a similarly advanced and gabled end of the original wing to the left of the center; a chimneybreast is on the return to the right.

The west elevation showcases a tripartite window in an advanced gabled bay, with a window above altered to a doorway, accompanied by a metal fire escape and strapwork pediment. A canted window is positioned in a bay to the right, featuring scrolled carving flanking a gabled dormerheaded former window (now a door) above. A recessed bay is set to the left, incorporating a porch in the re-entrant angle.

The east elevation displays three bays of the main house (a later addition) to the left, with an advanced gabled bay to the outer left, blank except for a canted chimneybreast at ground level. The bays to the center and right flank a chimney at wallhead, featuring a door at ground level to the right and a fire escape serpentining upwards. A recessed service court area is at the center. Low, advanced gabled end elevations of later work are on the outer right, blank except for an oculus in the gablehead.

The windows are timber sash and case with 12-pane glazing patterns. The roof is covered in large grey slates. Gable coped gables are characteristic of Bryce’s original work, with block skewputts. The later work by Anderson exhibits crowsteps with beak skewputts. The original sections have gablehead stacks and diamond-set flues, while the Anderson addition has ashlar wallhead stacks and clay cans. Decorative rainwater hoppers adorn the exterior.

The interior retains decorative schemes by David Bryce in the public rooms, largely intact, though with some later Adam-esque plasterwork. A fine billiard room was designed by Rowand Anderson.

Dating to approximately 1840, the stables are arranged as a quadrangular single-story stable court. They are constructed of sandstone, squared and snecked with ashlar dressings. The east elevation has five bays, featuring a gabled entrance pend, a high, round-arched carriage opening with a large corbelled clock face, and a heavy stone birdcage bellcote at the apex. Regular fenestration flanks the carriage opening. Segmental arched carriage openings and a round-arched doorway lead to the court, with remains of 4-pane sash and case windows. A louvred ventilator spans the ridge. The roof is covered in graded grey slates and ashlar skews.