Murray House, Main Street, Gartmore

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

According to the deeds, the land was feued by the Grahams of Gartmore House in 1725 and the house was built in 1745. Traditional 2-storey, 3-bay house situated directly on the Main Street of Gartmore, it groups well with neighbouring Thorn Cottage (see separate list description) and has good streetscape and historical value. Gartmore is a planned village, laid out by Nicol Graham of Gartmore House and his descendents in the 18th century. Unlike most of the houses in Gartmore, Murray House is one of the few originally conceived as a 2-storey house, with an 18th century circular wheel stair (another is Ardvulan, also listed). It is one of the best surviving examples of a relatively unaltered house in the planned village. It was also once the home of Edward Dwelly (1865-1939), the author of the first Gaelic-English dictionary (see Notes).

Symmetrical principal (SE) elevation with central gabled later timber porch with cast-iron finial, flanked by single windows. Attached to Buchanan Cottage to left (SW) (not listed, 2004) and Thorn Cottage to right (NE) (see separate list description). To rear, there is a single storey former byre advanced to right, now converted into domestic accommodation, with a 20th century timber and glass conservatory beyond. These byres were once a common feature in Gartmore. To the left, there are 20th century French windows to left, with single window above, modern glazed door to centre, and small window above to right, which lights the 1st floor bathroom. 2 timber boarded doors give access from the garden to the former byre.

Interior

Murray House retains its original plan, with a single room to either side of a central circular wheel staircase. To left, the kitchen retains tongue and groove panelling and a timber boarded ceiling. To the right, the sitting room has exposed roof beams. The circular wheel staircase is set within a circular stone well and has shallow timber treads. Timber panelled interior doors. Some 18th and 19th century fireplaces to ground and 1st floor rooms. It has thick walls.

Materials

Whitewashed with margins to openings. Predominantly 4-pane timber sash and case windows. Single rooflight to former byre. Boarded timber door to porch with modern half glazed 2-leaf inner door. Concrete tiles to roof, graded grey slates to porch and former byre at rear. Pitched roof with rendered coped gable-head stacks with some yellow clay cans. Timber bargeboards to NE gable of house, porch and former byre. Some cast iron rainwater goods.