2 Prieston Road, Bridge Of Weir

This is a Scottish Baronial terrace built in 1882, with additions made in 1901, situated on a raised terrace above the road. Originally built as the Ranfurly Hotel, the central long main block and tower were designed in 1881 by Robert A Raeburn. James Miller later added a recessed four-bay wing to the east (left) in a similar style. A detached six-bay terrace, also by Raeburn, sits at an oblique angle to the west (right), and may have originally served as a service range.

The building is constructed from bull-faced sandstone ashlar with polished ashlar dressings, stop-chamfered arises, hood-moulds, bracketted moulds and a moulded cornice. It features plate glass sash windows and grey slate roofing with corniced ashlar stacks topped with decorative cans.

The north elevation of the hotel range terminates in a crow-stepped gable end to the left and features a three-stage square tower to the right, with a recessed two-bay wing beyond. Early 20th century shop fronts are located at ground floor level. The tower has a large doorway at ground level, flanked by nook-shafts and engaged columns, surmounted by a hoodmould incorporating a moulded panel, and a six-panelled door. A string course runs above the stepped windows on each return, with a corbelled angle bartizan rising to the right. Windows are positioned on each return at the second stage, and a crenellated parapet tops the structure, with corbelled angle bartizans and stepped parapets. The roof is French-style, with small, pedimented dormers on each return, finished with cast-iron finialled balustrades. The central range features five bays, with shops at ground level, bipartites at the first floor, and pedimented dormers to the attic. A two-storey canted bay is positioned to the left of centre, with a parapet to a pedimented gable-head containing urns and a date plaque flanked by pedimented pilasters. A lower, two-storey wing extends to the west, with a doorway to the left and second-floor windows breaking the eaves in a crow-stepped dormerhead.

The 1901 additions consist of a two-storey and attic, four-bay wing featuring a shop front and round-arched doorway at ground floor, and bipartites at the first floor. Three windows are incorporated into the attic, cutting through the eaves between a corbelled wallhead stack and the main range, with a balustrade above a corbelled angle bartizan topped with a conical roof and finial. To the rear (return), two tripartite windows are at ground level, and one at the first floor.

A portion of this wing was largely demolished in the late 20th or early 21st century following a fire around 1991.

The detached terrace at an oblique angle to the west is of stepped, stugged ashlar construction, two storeys high and six bays wide. This section includes shop fronts at ground level, and first-floor windows breaking the eaves in pedimented dormerheads with angel skewputs and finials (except for bipartites in the outer bays, which have crowstepped dormerheads). It has two corbelled angle bartizans; one with a conical roof and finial to the east, and a stepped parapet to the west. A single-storey, two-bay addition to the west originally existed, although only portions of the outer walls remain.

Stone steps ascend the hillside. A set of steps leads down to the road below, accompanied by corniced ashlar gate piers topped with cast-iron light fittings, and cast-iron railings along a retaining wall.