Craigievern (Craigievairn) and stone outbuildings

Craigievern (Craigievairn) and Stone Outbuildings

A Grade B listed complex comprising a substantial laird's house with adjoining farm buildings, dating from the earlier to mid 18th century with a small 20th century addition to the north-east.

The main house is a large three-storey building in T-plan form, constructed of coursed sandstone rubble with stugged sandstone dressings. It is flanked by single-storey attached wings, now largely converted to byres, which together with the main block create an overall U-plan complex. These wings are built of sandstone rubble, largely painted, though the south-east and south-west walls of the south-western wing have been rebuilt in brick and rendered, as has the north-east wall of that wing and the south-east wall of the small byre to the south-west. The house features an eaves cornice, while partial eaves cornices remain to the adjoining wings and the adjacent byre and barn/granary. Most windows to the house have stugged surrounds, and the building displays coped gables and dressed quoins to most of the complex. Long and short surrounds frame the entrances to the barn/granary.

The principal south-east elevation comprises four bays with regularly-spaced openings and a wider expanse of blank wall to the outer right. An entrance door, now missing, is located in the second bay from the right and is topped by a later 20th century part-glazed porch with a lean-to roof. Windows occupy each remaining bay to the ground floor and those above. The blank gable ends of the flanking single-storey attached wings project to either side, with a blocked circular opening visible in the gable of the right-hand wing. Two blocked windows and one blocked entrance appear on the right return of the left wing.

The north-west elevation also comprises four bays and features a wide projecting gabled bay in the second position from the right, with windows to each floor. A 20th century rendered lean-to addition adjoins two bays set back to the left, positioned just below the second floor and projecting at first-floor level, with an entrance below. A small window to the second floor lights each of the set-back bays to the left, while a first-floor window serves the outer right bay. The gable ends of the flanking wings adjoin either side of the house; the left one is set back slightly with an eaves cornice continued across its gable, though this gable has been rebuilt in brick. A central entrance with a boarded timber door and adjacent window occupy this elevation, along with a small lean-to addition to the right and a blocked window beyond.

The north-east elevation shows a single-storey wing adjoining a blank gable end of the house, set back to the right, at right angles. An entrance with a timber stable door stands to the left, with two small inserted windows and a further window to the outer right. A lean-to addition to the house, featuring a window, is set back to the outer right.

The south-west elevation similarly displays a single-storey wing adjoining a blank gable end of the house at right angles. An entrance with a timber stable door occupies the outer right, with two small inserted windows positioned just below the eaves to the left. The left section has been substantially altered with a wall removed; the roof on this side is now supported by a cast-iron beam.

Detached farm outbuildings are positioned at right angles to the single-storey wings adjoining the house, towards the south-east end of each. Both follow rectangular plans.

The barn/granary to the north-east has an entrance with a boarded timber door on its south-east elevation, flanked by two ventilation slits and an arrowslit at lower level to the outer right. The north-west elevation displays an entrance with a boarded timber door to the right and a small window to the left of centre. A loft opening opens into the gable of the north-east elevation, while three ventilation slits occupy the south-west gable.

The small byre to the south-west features a central entrance and a smaller entrance to the right on its south-east elevation, both now missing their doors. A low lean-to addition forming kennels adjoins to the right of the north-west elevation, with two low entrances to the left.

The house retains 12-pane timber sash-and-case windows to its principal east elevation, though some UPVC replacements exist to the rear. The north single-storey wing features two 9-pane fixed frames. The main house and barn/granary are roofed in grey slate, while the wings and south-western outbuilding have corrugated asbestos roofs. Three gablehead stacks serve the house: one corniced and two coped, though cans are largely missing.

Internally, the house retains its original plan-form with two large rooms positioned either side of a central staircase. A dog-leg staircase features lower flights of stone and upper flights of timber with decorative mid to late 19th century timber balustrade incorporating plain turned and barley-sugar twist balusters. The front room to the right of the entrance, formerly the kitchen, contains a ceiling-height chamfered segmental-arched chimney breast with later infill and an inserted flue to a large recessed fireplace. A beamed ceiling completes this room.