Gatepiers, Culloden House

Culloden House is a classical astylar double pile mansion dating to circa 1788, built probably for Arthur Forbes, 7th of Culloden. The house incorporates fragments of an earlier mansion at basement level.

The main building consists of a central block of two storeys and mansard attic over a raised basement, linked by single-storey quadrants to outer pavilions, each of two storeys over raised basement. The rusticated ashlar raised basement and groins support elevations of cherry-caulked red rubble with contrasting polished sandstone dressings; the flanks are harled and pointed.

The south-west entrance front features a slightly advanced and pedimented centre bay. Above the door, which has flanking engaged Roman Doric columns and an open pediment, is a coat of arms with military accoutrements in the tympanum. A triglyph and rosette frieze continues over the side windows, which have balustraded aprons and sit within a shallow recessed panel. The first floor displays a delicate fanlight and a Venetian window with Ionic order. Paired end stacks rise on shaped gables; the mansarded slated attic with dormers sits behind a balustrade. The outer pavilions have a simple wallhead cornice and blocking course; they are linked to the central range by single-storey quadrants, each containing a centre door set in a shallow round-headed recess and flanked by blind Roman Doric screens. These quadrants have corniced wallheads with paired urns.

The north-east garden front presents a simplified pedimented elevation with a swagged coat of arms in the tympanum. It is linked to the outer pavilions by single-storey quadrants, each with an entrance similar to that on the south-west side and flanked by niches housing full-size classical statues representing Zenobia, Odenatus, Cato and Scipio. Each pavilion has a simple centre Venetian window with blind side lights. Throughout, the building is fenestrated with multi-pane sash and case windows. The roofs are of piended slate, with platformed slate roofs to the pavilions. Brick screen walls extend from the pavilions, masking inner service courts and featuring ashlar long-short rusticated arches.

The interior displays ornate Adamesque decoration. The entrance lobby contains an arched columned screen leading to a barrel-vaulted cross-passage. The drawing room features a carved marble Adamesque chimneypiece, panelled doors with corniced and decorated doorpieces, a decorated plaster cornice and ceiling, and mural roundels of classical scenes suspended from swags. The dining room has engaged columns with decorative necking and composite capitals framing a buffet recess; the doorcases and chimneypiece match those in the drawing room. From the cross-passage, a long curved staircase descends.

The gate piers, dating to circa 1788, form a pair of square rusticated polished ashlar piers with corniced and shaped caps supporting lead urns.

The Gardeners' bothy, also dating to circa 1788, is a simple two-storey, three-bay brick dwelling with polished ashlar dressings and rusticated quoins. Steps to the loft are located at the south gable. The centre door is flanked by low loft windows in the outer bays only. The rear west elevation has a pair of ground-floor windows with a centre oculus in the first floor. The building has coped end stacks and a slate roof.