Newton Hotel, Inverness Road, Nairn

The Fountain at the Newton Hotel on Inverness Road in Nairn is a significant building originally constructed around 1800, now forming the south block of the hotel. It underwent additions and alterations by architect Alexander Ross in 1874 and 1877, followed by further modifications by Ross and Macbeth in 1896. The building showcases an extensive range in the Scottish Baronial style.

The south front was originally designed with two storeys over a raised basement, featuring three bays with a central door approached by a flight of steps that oversails the raised basement. Flanking the central entrance are wide canted single-storey and basement bays, all topped with crenellations. The balustraded porch is supported by two Roman Doric columns, with heraldic beasts positioned at the angles. In the 1896 renovations, the canted bays were raised by two storeys to create angle towers, and the central section was raised by one storey, reusing the original corbelled crenellation.

To the east, there is a single-storey wing over a basement with one bay, while the west elevation features a single-storey wing over a basement with three irregular bays, including a central five-light canted window flanked by lancet windows. The entire north facade was added in the Scots Baronial style, consisting of three storeys and an attic, divided into two sections, with the wider western bay being the later addition.

The north facade includes a corbelled and crenellated two-stage tower adorned with gargoyles, a depressed arched entrance at the base, and corbelled angle turrets topped with conical bellcast roofs and finials. The fenestration is irregular, with three first-floor windows featuring gabled heads and an additional wide crow-stepped gable on the east side. The wide western bay has a crenellated ground floor window. The building is constructed of coursed stugged rubble with ashlar dressings and has slate roofs.

There are rubble screen walls to the east and west, topped with stone copes and ball finials. A modern single-storey glazed extension has been added to the west. In the garden, there is a fountain with a plinth featuring a decorative cap that supports two basins and is crowned by a cherub.