Octagonal Enclosure, Over Rankeillor House

Drawings made by James MacLeran, architect who died before work began; building superintended by Alexander Laing, architect Roger Black mason, Peter Nicol and Kilgour, wrights. Built 1796-1800. 2-storey classical mansion house with symmetrical 9-bay south front, and service wings to

north. Lightly droved yellow ashlar with polished dressings. Principal entrance now in 4-bay east elevation: tall, depressed-arched off-centre doorway (possibly inserted circa 1883) glazed door, sidelights and large fanlight. 12-pane sashes to other openings. South elevation: 3 central advanced and pedimented bays flanked by giant Ionic pilasters.

Original central door now a 15-pane window; all openings in architraves; 12-pane sashes. Mutule cornice and balustraded parapet. Tripartite and 12-pane sashes to west elevation. Symmetrically placed rendered stacks and piended slate roof.

INTERIOR: central hall has round-headed passages and doors in round- headed panels leading off; decorative plasterwork frieze with swags, and delicate ceiling rose over square cantilevered stair. Low service wing to north is principally a 2-storey U-plan block with 5 bays to north elevation, central porch, 1st floor windowheads of 3 inner bays raised above eaves with flat roofs, wall-head stacks to advanced outer bays; linked to house and to low single storey rectangular-plan block to west, 12-pane sash recessed in round-headed panel in south elevation of latter.

Large octagonal enclosure (probably Alexander Laing, Architect) to north is rubble-built with ashlar dressings and flat stone coping; round-arched opening to north, 2 square-headed gates to south, blind, round-headed panels to each intermediate face; some lean-to sheds against interior of walls. Square-plan piend-roofed block (now a garage) has segmental-headed opening to south elevation. 2 circular droved ashlar gatepiers at west drive.