Hillslap Tower

Dated 1585 for Nicol Cairncross; restored 1978-97 as family residence with later additions by Philip Mercer (see Notes). 4-storey and attic, L-plan gabled tower house with 5-storey wing with extruded turret to spiral stair at re-entrant angle. Whinstone rubble with red and buff sandstone dressings. Variety of bolection, cavetto and roll moulded openings; rounded arrises, lintels and rybats. Coped skews with shouldered skewputts.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: Tudor label mouldings to entrance at re-entrant angle; doorway lintel dated with initials of Nicol Cairncross and his wife, Elizabeth Lauder; squinch-arch above supports corbelled out stair; single pilaster-framed surround to window to left, bolection moulded window to right. 2 gun-loops to ground floor, one square-cut, one oval. Renewed dormers with Caincross arms and Mercer Crest.

Rubble 'barmkin' and 2-storey, round-arched gatehouse addition with kitchen at 1st floor adjoins to NW forming courtyard. Red sandstone dressings. Belvedered ventilator with S facing clock to ridge. Circular, squat, candle-snuffer capped outshot to NW angle. Stone forestair to S elevation leading to kitchen. Mercer crest above roll-moulded, keystoned arch.

Predominantly lead-framed glass panes set in original glazing grooves. Coped dentilled stacks. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: entrance in re-entrant angle rebated for inner and outer doors. Barrel-vaulted storeroom. Large corbel-lintelled fireplace to 1st floor hall; small chapel room off. Further corbelled fireplaces elsewhere, one with shafted jambs to upper floor. Full height stone spiral stair mostly renewed, replicating the fragmentary winding newel that survived to ground floor.