Culloden House Hotel

Culloden House Hotel is a classical mansion of circa 1788, designed as an astylar double pile with a central block of two storeys and mansard attic over a raised basement. The centre is linked to outer pavilions, each of two storeys over raised basement, by single storey quadrants.

The raised basement features rusticated ashlar with groins. Above this, the elevations are constructed in cherry-caulked red rubble with contrasting polished sandstone dressings; the flanks are harled and pointed. The slightly advanced and pedimented south-west entrance front displays a coat of arms in the tympanum with military accoutrements above the door. The doorway is flanked by engaged Roman Doric columns and an open pediment. A triglyph and rosette frieze continues across the side windows, which have balustraded aprons, all set within a shallow recessed panel. The first floor features a delicate fanlight and a Venetian window with Ionic order. Paired end stacks sit on shaped gables, with a mansarded slated attic containing dormers behind a balustrade. The outer pavilions have a simple wallhead cornice and blocking course; the single storey quadrants linking them to the centre range each contain a centre door in a shallow round-headed recess flanked by blind Roman-Doric screens, with corniced wallheads and paired urns.

The north-east garden front presents a simplified pedimented elevation with a swagged coat of arms in the tympanum. Single storey quadrants link this to the outer pavilions, each with an entrance set in a round-headed recess flanked by niches housing full-size classical statues. The pavilions each have a simple centre Venetian window with blind side lights. Throughout, multi-pane sash and case windows are employed. The roofs are piended slate, with platformed roofs to the pavilions. Brick screen walls extending from the pavilions mask inner service courts, punctuated by ashlar long-short rusticated arches.

The interior features ornate Adamesque decoration. The entrance lobby contains an arched columned screen leading to a barrel vaulted cross-passage. The drawing room displays a carved marble Adamesque chimneypiece, panelled doors with corniced and decorated doorpieces, a decorated plaster cornice, and a ceiling with 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 are similar to those in the drawing room. A long curved staircase leads from the cross-passage.

The property was probably built for Arthur Forbes, 7th of Culloden, and incorporates fragments of an earlier mansion at basement level. The four statues in the north-east elevation niches represent Zenobia, Odenatus, Cato and Scipio.

Associated with the main house are gate piers of circa 1788, comprising a pair of square rusticated polished ashlar piers with corniced and shaped caps supporting lead urns.

The Gardeners' Bothy, also of circa 1788, is a simple two-storey brick dwelling of three bays with polished ashlar dressings and rusticated quoins. Steps to a loft are located at the south gable. The centre door opens to the ground floor, with 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 features coped end stacks and a slate roof.