Garva Barracks, Garvamore

This is a late 18th-century building, originally a long, rectangular, south-facing two-storey range comprising a three-bay dwelling and a slightly later stable range with a heated loft; a further single-storey, two-bay range adjoins the east gable. The construction is of rubble with tooled rubble dressings, and some harl pointing is visible.

The three-bay dwelling has a centrally placed entrance masked by a later porch with a side entrance incorporated. The fenestration is symmetrical, with small windows on the first floor. To the west of the dwelling is the stable block, featuring two irregularly placed first-floor windows on its front elevation. The rear of the stable has a central entrance with a horizontally divided double door, along with a side entrance, likely leading to stairs serving the loft. An off-centre loft door is present, along with small gable ground and attic windows. The rear of the dwelling has a central first-floor window, a ground-floor window lighting a parlour, and a further very small ground-floor light. An east-facing two-bay extension is topped by a later square porch with a pyramidal slate roof concealing the entrance. The windows have 9-pane, 12-pane, or 16-pane glazing, depending on their location. Ridge and end stacks are present, with the original stack, featuring a shaped cope, surviving at the west gable (serving the heated loft). The roofs are slate, shingle, and felt-tiled.

Inside, a double-leaf plank main door remains; one portion is still in situ, while the other lies on the stair half landing. A simple dog-leg staircase features slender turned pine balusters returning to the first-floor landing and thick turned newels. A west ground-floor room, possibly former officers' quarters, has fielded panelled window shutters to the rear window, secured with simple wooden swivel catches. Matching double-leaf cupboard doors front a cupboard with dentil decoration to the shaped interior. Other interior features include a moulded chair rail, a simple chimney piece, and a fielded panelled door.

The building is sited beside a military road constructed over the Corrieyairack pass by General Wade in 1732, built upon an earlier drovers’ road. It is known as barracks, but may have initially functioned as a "King's house," an inn built on the King's highway for travellers. The term "barracks" appears to be a later misnomer, stemming from a Victorian guidebook published in 1890 and potentially referencing an unexecuted plan to build barracks at Garvamore in 1717. It was formerly roofed with heavy local slates, a pile of which was found nearby until recently. The stable ceiling is currently in poor condition. The loft, heated by a gable-end hearth, was likely used as troops' sleeping quarters. It was subsequently used as a keeper's house and is now empty. The stable loft was heated by a hearth.