Steading (South Range), Carstairs Mains

The steading, designed by William Burn in 1825, originally comprised four ranges of buildings arranged around a square courtyard, with a farmhouse adjoining to the south. The westernmost range of the steading has been demolished, but the remaining ranges are largely unaltered externally. The steading is built of stugged ashlar with droved and broached dressings, and has piended slate roofs.

The north range is a two-story, near-symmetrical elevation overlooking the courtyard, with ten bays. It features a central pediment containing a clock face within the tympanum, and a birdcage bellcote at the apex. Stabling is located in the outer bays, with four cart arches in the centre. The stables include cast-iron columns dividing the stalls. A loft above has regular rectangular windows retaining their original three-pane glazing arrangement in sash windows, and a timber sliding ventilator grille to the lower part.

The east range is a two-story, seven-bay structure with wide, opposing doors at the north end, possibly originally a threshing barn. Most of the internal divisions were removed in 1989, and the openings remain mostly unaltered.

The south range is a single-story, eight-bay building with a stack to the west. It likely served as a dairy, calf-houses, or feed stores. An opening has been widened to the east, and the eastern half of the roof has been replaced with corrugated sheet metal.

The farmhouse, adjoining the south range by a passage, is an L-plan, two-story building with gabled ends. It has a narrow, lean-to porch to the southwest re-entrant corner, supported by a single Doric column. The farmhouse has canted bay windows on the ground floor and single-light windows with hoods moulded over the ground floor openings. All windows are now fitted with modern plate glass. A flat-roofed dormer has been added over the porch. The roof is slate covered, with end coped skews and skew blocks, and tall diamond stacks remain only on the north side.

Despite the demolition of the western range, the steading remains largely unaltered externally. While the farmhouse has suffered some alterations, including the removal of stacks and replacement of the windows, it remains an important component of the overall composition. Plans by Burn for the steadings are held in the National Monuments Record of Scotland.