Crieff Hydro, Ferntower Road, Crieff

Crieff Hydro, Ferntower Road, Crieff

A substantial Scots-Jacobean hotel designed by Robert Ewan between 1866 and 1868, standing at 345 feet elevation with four to five storeys and attics across multiple bays. The building has been progressively extended: attic bedrooms and a dining room and drawing room extension were added in 1872, a west wing in 1894, and an east wing in 1959. A swimming pool was constructed in 1904, a winter garden between 1903 and 1905, and a new wing designed by James Denholm Associates in 1991.

The main structure is built in red squared and snecked rubble with some bull-faced work, complemented by contrasting ashlar dressings. It features a raised base and eaves courses, tabbed margins, conical- and pyramidal-roofed turrets, and corbels. Stone transoms and mullions are throughout.

The centrepiece is a four-stage tower dominating the composition. The first stage at ground and first floor level contains a broad three-bay centre with a modern timber doorpiece flanked by marble pilasters and a traditionally classically-detailed plasterwork frieze, topped with a glazed canopy on decorative cast-iron brackets. The second stage rises with bipartite windows, progressing to two closely-aligned windows above, with two vertically-aligned narrow lights to the south-west side and a blank north-east face. The third stage features corbelled outer angles, a banded cill course, and bipartite windows with hoodmoulds incorporating relief-carved monogrammed panels dated 1868 (marked 'SHECL' to the north-west face). A corbel table and cornice rise to the fourth stage, which displays a stepped parapet, blind oculi to each face, and finialled ogee-roofed square-section angle turrets with narrow openings, except the south-west turret which contains a belfry. A flagpole crowns the centre.

The north-west entrance elevation presents a variety of architectural elements arranged in a mostly symmetrically-fenestrated stepped composition. Flanking the central tower are three-bay gables with keystoned segmental-headed windows in their gableheads, and lower two-bay wings beyond with pedimented dormer-headed windows. A single storey crenellated, harled wing fills the re-entrant angle to the right. Advanced outer wings extend further: the right wing includes a pedimented wide-centre tripartite window over a consoled doorpiece (later altered to a window) with a tympanum gable, a full-height bowed tripartite window, and a gable with turret on its left return. The left wing comprises three bays with flanking turrets, a centre gable, and three narrow round-headed lights within a broad bowed window in a gable on the right return, with a later wing set back to the outer left.

The south-east elevation displays a rambling stepped arrangement with regular fenestration and pedimented dormer windows. The centre bays are flanked by projecting wings linked by the winter garden, which features projecting polygonal centre bays, cast-iron arcading, and a two-storey verandah.

Windows are primarily four-pane and plate glass in timber sash-and-case frames. The roofs are of grey slates, with coped ashlar chimneys topped by polygonal cans and ashlar-coped skews with moulded skewputts.

The interior retains significant decorative features. Decorative plasterwork cornicing is present throughout, with decoratively-tiled dadoes on the first and second floors of the west wing. A dog-leg staircase features decorative cast-iron balusters and a timber handrail. The drawing room contains fine coloured glass depicting various Perthshire scenes, a marble fireplace, and a pipe organ. The ballroom has a trabeated ceiling and dado panelling. The ground floor ladies washroom is finished with timber toilet cubicles and incorporates inset Art Nouveau leaded coloured glass, with similar glazing to the window. The pool room is lined with glazed bricks.

The boundary is defined by coped rubble walls and two pairs of polygonal painted ashlar gatepiers with inner piers supporting ironwork lanterns.