Auchentroig House, Buchlyvie

Auchentroig House is a Scottish Baronial mansion designed by Eben Simpson of Stirling in 1903, incorporating an earlier house probably dating from the late 19th century. The house was rebuilt and partially remodelled in the late 1920s, when the interior was completely renewed. The building is two storeys throughout, with some sections rising to two storeys and attic, and follows an irregular plan.

The architectural design features crowstepped gables throughout, though these were removed from the principal east elevation during the 1920s remodelling. Other characteristic features include mullioned windows, circular-plan towers flanking the principal elevation, and a crenellated parapet of 1920s date to the principal and south elevations. The walls are built of coursed stugged stone with lightly droved red sandstone dressings. Most parts have a base course. Openings are framed with red sandstone long and short surrounds, and windows have chamfered reveals except where they feature roll-moulded inner surrounds. Red sandstone quoins mark the corners.

The east entrance elevation extends six bays including the flanking circular-plan tower bays at the outer corners, with a two-bay section to the outer left set forward. The entrance is located in the second bay from the left of the four-bay section set back to the right. It is sheltered by a rectangular-plan porch with a crenellated parapet corbelled out slightly over a roll-moulded band. A blank plaque sits at the centre, with a band course below window cill level. The pointed-arched entrance has a roll-moulded reveal and moulded surround above the springing point, fitted with a two-leaf boarded and studded timber door with strap hinges. Small windows appear on each of the outer returns of the porch. The pointed-arched entrance set back within has a finely panelled timber door with glazed upper lights. A timber beam set above is inscribed 'Welcome the Coming', with a datestone of 1850 (probably from an earlier house on the site) re-sited immediately above. (The opposite timber beam is inscribed 'Speed the Parting Guest'.) A narrow window is set back to the right of the porch. Mullioned bipartite windows appear above and to the first floor of the flanking bays, with a moulded cill band running across, and at ground floor of the bay to the right, where a separate sandstone mounting block in front is dated '1903' with the initials 'ERC - EKC'.

The left bay projects slightly and has two windows to the ground floor. The circular-plan breaking-eaves tower to the outer right has a deep crenellated parapet and is corbelled out slightly at first floor above a moulded band, with the moulded band course above stepped up to the cill of each window. This side shows two windows to the ground floor, one centred above, and two arrowslits at upper level. The north side has windows to ground and first floors and an arrowslit at upper level, with a cill band at ground floor. The right corner of the projecting two-bay section to the outer left is chamfered at ground floor and corbelled out above, with a narrow window to the splay and a window to the first floor of the right bay. The circular-plan breaking-eaves tower to the outer left also has a deep crenellated parapet and is corbelled out slightly at first floor above a moulded band, with the band course above stepped up to the cill of each window. It has two windows to ground and first floors on this side, two arrowslits at upper level, and windows to ground and first floors with an arrowslit at upper level to the south side, plus a cill band at ground floor. The upper floor of the right return of the two-bay section is corbelled out with two windows, adjoining a projecting external stack to the left. The corbelled-out base of the stack bears a panel inscribed 'IF.THIS.HOUSE.BE.FINE.OR.NOT.THAT.WAS.NE'ER.MY.SERIOUS.THOUGHT.BUT.IT.WILL.HAVE.GAINED.ITS.ENDS.SHOULD.I.FILL.IT.FULL.OF.FRIENDS.' A small mullioned bipartite window appears to the right of the ground floor.

The south elevation extends eight bays with projecting gabled penultimate bays. A near-central slightly projecting gabled bay (with beaked skewputts) is fifth from the left and features canted mullioned tripartite windows with crenellated parapets to ground and first floors, with a moulded band course between. Ground and first floor windows are set back slightly to the two bays to the left and the bay to the right, with a mullioned tripartite at ground floor and mullioned bipartite at first floor to the bay to the right. An entrance with roll-moulded reveal appears to the right of the gabled projecting penultimate bay to the left, fitted with a two-leaf boarded timber door. A mullioned bipartite window sits at first floor, with the moulded band course to the bay stepped up at the cill, and a small attic window in the gable. The outer left bay is rounded at the ground floor corner and has a small window with roll-moulded reveal to the right. A finialled bartizan at the first floor corner is corbelled out slightly above a moulded band course and has a moulded cornice, with a small window with roll-moulded reveal at the outer angle. The projecting penultimate bay to the right is chamfered below the lower half of the first floor and corbelled out above. It has a mullioned bipartite window to the ground floor with flanking narrow windows set at angles, and a mullioned tripartite to the first floor, where the band course to the bay is stepped down below the cill. A small attic window sits in the gable, and a waterspout is positioned at the eaves to the left return. The circular-plan breaking-eaves tower with deep crenellated parapet to the outer right is as described for the east elevation.

The north elevation features flanking gabled wing ends (with scrolled and beaked skewputts) to either side of a courtyard to the right of centre, with a circular-plan tower to the outer left. Square-plan red sandstone gatepiers mark the courtyard entrance, each with horizontal banding, friezes, cornices and coping swept upwards almost to a point surmounted by a ball finial. A curved lamp support with cast finial stands between them, and one leaf of a boarded timber gate remains (with wicket gate). Flanking retaining walls have ridged red sandstone coping, with a gun loop to the wall to the left. A circular-plan finialled conical-roofed 'sentry box' stands to the left, with projecting base course and eaves cornice, and a small window with roll-moulded reveal to the left (with entrance within the courtyard). The wall is stepped up to the right of the gateway, with an entrance (fitted with boarded timber door) to sheds behind in the wall to the right, and an adjoining window to the right, both with roll-moulded surrounds.

A flat-roofed single storey section is set back to the left within the courtyard, with an entrance with chamfered and stopped jambs and boarded timber door to the right, two windows to the left, and two wide tripartites with round-headed lights and carved timber mullions set back to the first floor. A rectangular-plan breaking-eaves three-storey tower bay projects to the right (occupying the width of the single storey section), with a window to each floor (the ground floor one having a roll-moulded surround). The right return of the left wing (east side of courtyard) has three first floor windows (grouped one and two) and a Venetian stair window to the right, with a small glazed flat-roofed addition at ground floor. A crenellated parapet runs along the south side of the courtyard, including the tower bay and above the stair windows. The ground floor of the left return of the right wing (west side of courtyard) has an entrance (with boarded timber door) with a window with roll-moulded surround to the right. Single storey sheds project to the right, with two windows to the first floor and a pedimented breaking-eaves dormer centred above. The gable end of the left wing is corbelled out at first floor with a mullioned bipartite window, a blank panel to the gable, and a corbelled out stack adjoining to the left. Below sits a window to the right and a mullioned bipartite below to the left (adjoining the cill band between the circular-plan tower and the base course of the 'sentry box'). A rainspout to the parapet at the eaves is positioned immediately to the left of the gable. The circular-plan breaking-eaves tower with deep crenellated parapet to the outer left is as previously described. The gable end of the right wing is chamfered at ground floor of the right corner and corbelled out above, with a window with roll-moulded surround to the left of the ground floor, a window to the right of the first floor, and a gablehead stack slightly corbelled out below the gable.

The west elevation extends five bays. A slightly projecting two-bay section (each bay gable-headed with scrolled and beaked skewputts and waterspout in between) stands to the right. The left bay has a large mullioned and transomed sexpartite window (with segmental-headed upper lights) to the ground floor, a mullioned bipartite above, and a small attic window to the gable. The right bay has two windows with roll-moulded surrounds to the ground floor (the left one formerly an entrance, the right one mullioned bipartite), two windows to the first floor (the left one smaller with roll-moulded surround), and a small attic window to the gable. The outer right corner is rounded at ground floor with a finialled bartizan above (as described for the south elevation). The central bay is set back to the left and has a mullioned bipartite window with flanking windows to the ground floor, three windows above (the central one smaller), and a breaking-eaves dormer with rounded gable with beaked skewputts centred above. A gabled bay (with beaked skewputts) stands to the left. A small flat-roofed projecting section at ground floor has two windows, with an entrance with boarded timber door to the left return. A window sits to the left of the first floor. The upper floor is corbelled out slightly and stepped down to the right (with a blank panel), with an attic window to the right of the gable. The outer right bay is chamfered at the ground floor corner and corbelled out above. A mullioned bipartite window appears to the right of the ground floor, with a central window to the first floor and attic (the attic window in a breaking-eaves dormer with rounded gable with beaked skewputts).

The windows are mainly UPVC replacements, with two-pane timber sash and case windows at the east end and to the courtyard. The roofs are covered in grey slate. Three coped ridge stacks with red sandstone quoins run along the south range, with a pair of coped mid-pitch stacks to the west side. A projecting stack with tall double octagonal upper flue stands on the principal west elevation, and a similar projecting stack appears to the north side but without octagonal upper flues (possibly missing). There are corniced gablehead stacks to the west and one (projecting) to the north side, with cans round where in existence. A large proportion of early cast-iron downpipes survive with original rainwater heads, one on the south dated 1903.

The interior retains the majority of its fixtures and fittings from the late 1920s refurbishment, with the plan intact from this time. The impressive entrance hall and dining room are fitted out in neo-Tudor style. The open-well staircase has outer newel posts extended to the ceiling at ground and first floor, with three newels with carved lion finials and carved splat balustrade. The walls and ceilings are timber panelled with moulded beams. Tudor-arched fireplace surrounds in the entrance hall each have intricately carved overmantels and outer surrounds incorporating antique panels. The dining room has a large stone fireplace surround with flanking columns inscribed 'WHEN.YE.SIT.AT.THE.FIRE.YER.TAES.TAE.WARM.SEE.THAT.YER.TONGUE.DAES.YER.NEIGHBOUR.NAE.HARM.' Ten-panel timber doors have segmental mouldings between panels producing a linenfold effect. The little dining room has a carved marble fireplace and plaster floral wreath to the ceiling. A timber fireplace surround to one of the bedrooms incorporates a panel carved with a pair of cherubs and crown inscribed '1930'. Lorimer toilet bowls (stamped 'REMIROL' on the inside) are fitted upstairs, with vitrolite covering to the walls in the toilets and bathrooms.