Wedderburn Castle

Wedderburn Castle is a grand 3-storey, 13-bay castellated symmetrical house of U-plan design, built between 1768 and 1775. Robert and James Adam designed the main structure in 1768-69, incorporating a 15th-century tower house, and James Nisbet oversaw further work from 1770 to 1775. The surviving parts of the original tower house to the north-east were demolished during the early 19th century, and other alterations have been made subsequently.

The building is finished with rustication at ground level featuring polished dressings, and droved ashlar at the first, second and third floors with polished ashlar dressings. Base courses, string courses, band courses, double string courses, and a modillioned cornice with castellated parapet above define the elevation. Hoodmoulds frame the windows at the first and second floors. The rear service court is enclosed on the U-plan.

The south-west elevation displays a 4-storey, 3-bay central group that projects slightly. An early 19th-century battlemented porte-cochere at ground level features segmental-arched openings on each elevation and blind arrow slits in advanced corner pilasters. The centre is distinguished by a 6-flush-panelled door with a 3-trefoiled arched fanlight above, flanked by single windows. Above this at the first floor are 3 windows, the central one broader than those flanking, each with a string course to lintel level and segmental arch containing a Coade coat of arms in the middle window. The second floor has 3 round-arched windows with continuous hoodmould, and the third floor has 3 windows with continuous Tudor hoodmould. Narrow windows occupy the flanking bays. Octagonal corner towers with blinded windows at each stage and round-arched windows to the principal elevations at the second and third stages define the outer bays, which contain regular fenestration in 4-bay groups.

The south-east elevation is composed of 11 bays grouped 1-3-3-3-1. The central 3-bay group bows outward with windows to each floor, flanked by two 3-bay groups similarly fenestrated. Octagonal towers match those on the south-west elevation.

The north-east elevation comprises 9 bays grouped 1-3-3-1-1, with a recessed 3-bay central group serving as the rear elevation to the service court (setts at ground level). A bowed addition fills the re-entrant angle to the south. The north-west court return elevation contains various windows, some now blinded, and a door to the left bearing a carved panel with scroll inscription reading "GEO. HUM. DNO DE WEDDERBURN ME FCAT FIERE". A single-storey later harled lean-to addition stands in the re-entrant angle to the north, with a door to the south-east. A full-height square-plan tower to the right contains a window at ground and a stair window above with hoodmould. A further blank full-height square-plan tower occupies the re-entrant angle to the north. To the left, a 3-bay advanced group precedes the central 3-bay bowed group, with octagonal towers to the outer left and outer right as on the south-west elevation.

A later, possibly late 19th-century, single-storey battlemented screen wall of 7 bays encloses the service court, aligned to the outer towers. The centre bay is slightly advanced and raised with a hoodmoulded round-arched entrance. To its left are 3 hoodmoulded windows, and to its right are 3 hoodmoulded doorways with boarded doors. A single-storey lean-to building on the south-west elevation features 4 flush-panelled doors to the right and one to the left, with a further lean-to addition to the south-east service containing a cast-iron support at centre.

The north-west elevation contains 11 bays grouped 1-3-3-3-1, with the central 3-bay group slightly advanced and raised, fenestrated across each floor. Octagonal corner towers match those elsewhere.

Windows throughout are 12-pane timber sash and case. The roof is slate, with slate piended roofing to the centre of the south-west elevation. Various stacks rise through the roof and are incorporated into the castellations.

The interior features a cantilevered sweeping split staircase with cast-iron baluster and timber handrail, screened at the first floor by an Ionic screen with entablature and segmental arch above. A groin-vaulted first-floor corridor extends through the building. Principal rooms are fitted with marble chimneypieces, including a piece by Piranesi, others by Francis Harwood, and some in Rococo style. A fine wrought-iron net or trellis baluster adorns the stair from the first to second floors. The classical plasterwork throughout was executed by local craftsmen.