St Andrew's East, Fassifern Road, Fort William

Probably Alexander Ross, dated 1880. Long north facing,

asymmetrical 2-storey, irregular 9-bay range, with former

rectory to left (east) and former school to right (west) each

with separate, original entries. All red bullfaced, sneck

coursed granite rubble, with contrasting tooled and polished

sandstone dressings. Projecting gabled bays in east and

centre, also centre rear.

Bowed porch in re-entrant angle (St Andrew's East) rising as

slender circular, 3-storey tower with moulded eaves cornice

and conical slated roof. Moulded corniced and dated doorpiece

with some strapwork decorative detailing. Canted ground floor

bay window in left gable, with crenellated parapet and

pointed-headed bipartites above. Square headed tripartites to

right of entrance with small bowed dormer above. Centre

buttress to centre gable, with sympathetic later fenestration

and original centre cusped rose window; 3-bay arcaded front

to original school, with pointed headed arches divided by

squat polished ashlar engaged columns with

stiff leaf capitals, and with bands of carved foliage in low

relief decorating the inner faces of the arcades. Later

3-light casement windows; 2 later piended dormers above.

Original school entrance in extreme western bay (St Andrew's

West); pointed headed inscribed architrave and flanking

polished granite nook shafts with stiff leaf capitals; plank

door with ornate cast-iron hinges.

Entrance to single storey vestibule the length of the west

gable lit by continuous pointed arcade composed of diminutive

columns and capitals, buttressed at each end.

To rear, pair original flat headed windows with geometric

tracery and also cusped rose window in gable apex; various

service extensions. Original 2-pane and lattice pane glazing;

also later 3-pane casements. Carved plaque high in east

gable; blocked eaves cornices; moulded stone ridges;

cast-iron apex finials; tall ridge and wallhead coped stacks;

greenish slate roof.

INTERIOR: School now converted as dwelling, but original

chimney piece with inscribed ashlar hood survives; also late

19th century coloured floor tiles to school entrance porch.

Garden walls and gate piers; red bullfaced rubble garden wall

with contrasting ashlar cope, some sections to north,

(Fassifern Road) front have low retaining walls with

ornamental cast-iron railings. Pair square ashlar gate piers

with shaped caps and dogtooth ornamentation. Side and rear

rubble garden walls with shaped glazed pottery copes.