Conservatory, Kingsknowes Hotel, Kingsknowe Drive, Galashiels

William Hay, 1868-9. Large 3-storey with upper breaking eaves, 4-bay, square-plan asymmetrical gabled Scots Baronial mansion (converted to hotel) with idiosyncratic French, Gothic and early Renaissance detailing; single storey courtyard range to N and elaborate domed conservatory to SW. Narrow projecting crowstepped gabled entrance bay with semi-circular arched doorway with stained glass fanlight flanked by floral capitalled pink granite columns supporting bracketed stone finialled ballustraded balcony above; 3-storey polygonal oversailing turret to re-entrant angle. Prominent circular conical-roofed corner tower to E with arched stone bracketed breaking eaves pediments; distinctive round-headed piended lucarne dormers and circular domed brattishing corona. Projecting canted windows with columnar mullions; balconied 1st floor windows; steeply pitched round arched attic dormers with skewputts. Stugged, snecked red sandstone rubble; smooth dressings with chamfered openings. Base course, moulded string courses, banded eaves course.

Plate glass in timber sash and case windows; pitched and piended slate roofs, fishtail slates to towers and turrets; prominent ashlar shouldered and corniced broad cross-axial and gable end stacks; square section cast-iron bracketed gutters with decorative square hoppers.

INTERIOR: fine interior decorative scheme including 3-bay Corinthian arcaded screen in hall with columns to upper landing; sweeping open staircase with decorative asymmetrical cast-iron balusters and large tripartite stained glass window. Deep ornate plaster cornicing and ceiling roses; timber and stained glass entrance screen. Early French gothic polychrome marble chimneypieces with dwarf columns and elaborate foliate caps. Tudor timber panelling and ornate combed plaster ceiling to bar.

CONSERVATORY: MacKenzie & Moncur, believed to be contemporary to house. Octagonal cast-iron domed roof with finailled clerestoried circular lantern and pitch roofed linking corridor to house on red sandstone base plinth. Small-paned convex glass; foliate arabesque-patterned cast-iron pilaster ventilators at corners.