Doonholm House, Ayr

Doonholm House, Ayr

Built around 1760 by Dr William Fergusson, a retired physician who purchased the estate—originally two small farms called Berriesden and Warlockholm—in 1756, Doonholm House stands as a substantial 3-storey and attic residence with a symmetrical 3-bay principal elevation. The house takes its name from its location on the banks of the River Doon.

The building exhibits a complex construction history. The original 1760 house forms the main block, to which John Hunter added a substantial 5-bay wing to the southeast around 1819, featuring bowed end bays. The mid and late 19th century saw further additions, including a Victorian wing to the northwest. In 1902, J Kennedy relocated the entrance to the northeast elevation, commissioning a pedimented porch on Tuscan columns. A 1980 remodelling by Ronald Alexander removed the Victorian wing and many later additions, though the early 19th century wing and the 1902 northeast porch were retained.

The principal northwest elevation is harled with a raised polished margins and presents a symmetrical composition. The ground floor contains a central panelled timber door with fanlight flanked by narrow windows, with pairs of windows to each side. The first floor features a Venetian window added in 1980, above which are regularly fenestrated upper storeys. Two canted dormers occupy the attic floor. A dentil moulded cornice crowns the main block. Quoins are formed of V-jointed long and short stones to the main block and strip quoins to the wing. The northeast block is harled like the principal elevation; the remainder of the house displays squared and snecked sandstone with the same raised margins treatment. Dividing band courses and an eaves course run around the building, with an eaves blocking course to the wing.

The southwest elevation is gabled with irregular fenestration. The early 19th century wing advances to the outer right, presenting a central bowed bay with three regularly placed windows to each floor.

The southeast elevation displays the 1819 wing in full symmetrical composition. A flat-roofed pilastered sandstone ashlar porch, reached by a flight of steps to the centre of the first (principal) floor, contains a 2-leaf glazed timber door flanked and surmounted by leaded stained glass panels. A ground floor doorway serves the left return. A tripartite window occupies the second floor above, with regular fenestration to flanking bays.

The northeast elevation is gabled. A 19th century pedimented porch on Tuscan columns dominates the ground floor, its decorative timber door with glazed circular panel reached by stone steps. Two datestones (1889 and 1902) flank a Kennedy coat of arms above the entrance. To the outer right, a coped quadrant wall with balustrading features a chamfered round-arched opening flanked by a square-plan pier with spherical finial, with a low balustraded wall beyond. The upper floors of the gable behind show irregular fenestration. The 1819 wing advances to the outer left, again presenting a central bowed bay with three regularly placed windows per floor.

Windows throughout are predominantly 2-pane and 12-pane timber sash and case. Grey slate roofs feature lead ridges, with coped stone skews and ogee skewputts. Harled, corniced gablehead and wallhead stacks have octagonal cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods serve the building.

The interior has not been inspected for this listing.

The estate became the property of John Hunter when he married the second daughter of Dr Fergusson's family, and he was responsible for the substantial southeast wing. The house forms a group listing with Doonholm Estate Stables and Sundial.