East Pavilion, Cluny Castle

East Pavilion, Cluny Castle

This is a substantial mansion designed in the Adamesque style by Robert Burn of Edinburgh and completed in 1805. The northwest wing and front porch were added around 1890 by W L Carruthers of Inverness. The building was constructed for Cluny MacPherson (MacPherson of Cluny) to replace the castle destroyed by fire in 1746, following the owner's support for Prince Charles Edward. The house later gained further historical significance when Andrew Carnegie leased it before purchasing Skibo Castle in Sutherland.

The main structure is a south-facing symmetrical two-storey mansion with an attic, raised over a basement. A rear courtyard is flanked by single-storey wings that project at right angles. A set-back two-storey four-bay addition extends to the northwest, not shown on the 1870 Ordnance Survey map.

The frontage presents a wide Adamesque composition of three bays with three-bay return elevations. Each return features a shallow bowed three-window bay flanking the main frontage and rising the full height. The frontage and dressings are of tooled grey granite ashlar, while the flanks and rear are of pinned rubble. The basement is of rubble construction, rendered and lined.

A glazed timber porch with a crest set within a semi-circular pediment masks the centre door, reached by a splayed flight of steps that oversails the raised basement. The centre bay is delineated by giant pilasters rising from moulded red sandstone plinths and capped with similar Ionic capitals. Unusually, there is no entablature, but plain blocks return under the cornice instead.

The entrance is flanked by simple Venetian windows set within arched panels. Tripartite windows occupy the first floor, while ground and first floor cill bands encircle the building. Piended dormers punctuate the roofline. The moulded eaves cornice is surmounted by a crenellated wallhead with small angle dummy bartizans. The piended platform slate roof carries four symmetrical corniced stacks. The rear elevation contains five bays with some altered fenestration.

The circa 1890 northwest wing is two storeys high with regular four-bay fenestration and a shaped front centre wallhead stack. A centre rear gable carries an apex stack. The roof is piended slate. Sash windows with multi-pane glazing light the main mansion, whilst two-pane sashes serve the northwest wing.

The rear courtyard is flanked by single-storey wings. The eastern wing has some modern fenestration, whilst the western wing has been altered to stores and garages. The courtyard closes to the north with a low wall centred by an entrance flanked by square tooled ashlar gate piers. A centre well with an ornamental stone cover raised on columns occupies the courtyard.

The interior is distinguished by sophisticated detailing. The wide entrance hall features a coffered vaulted ceiling with a central pendant and oval detailing to the reeded and panelled dado and panelled doors. The southeast drawing room contains similar detailing with a beaded panelled dado and a fine mahogany door (re-used from elsewhere) with decorative beading. A carved wood chimneypiece, also re-used from elsewhere, stands in this room.

The southwest former dining room has a reeded and panelled dado and panelled window shutters. An inlaid serving table or buffet recess is flanked by engaged Corinthian columns. The mahogany door matches that in the drawing room, and decorative plaster ceiling friezes ornament both public rooms. Two four-centred arches supported by fluted Corinthian columns and outer pilasters screen the stairwell. The staircase features ornate cast-iron balusters with a polished wooden handrail.

Decorative chimneypieces appear throughout, including an inlaid marble piece with a basket grate in the first floor bedroom. Panelled window shutters line both ground and first floors. The northwest wing, originally a billiard room, now serves as a dining room.

The present drawing room chimneypiece and hearth replaces a former marble chimneypiece and basket grate. The sophisticated joinery in panelling, doors and shutters was probably executed by Aberdeenshire joiners, the detailing and decoration being characteristic of their work.