Hillside Place, Carrick Castle

Hillside Place, dated 1877, is a three-storey, rectangular-plan Scots Baronial tenement block. It reflects the popularity of Loch Goil as a tourist destination in the 19th century, and its tenement form is unusual for a semi-rural location.

The principal, east-facing elevation, which faces the pier, is a symmetrical arrangement of five bays with a crowstepped gable to the central, projecting bay. The ground floor originally contained a two-leaf door leading to a hall and staircase. An open-well staircase with cast-iron balusters provides access to the flats on each floor.

The building’s Scots Baronial character is defined by corner bartizans (the conical roofs of which are no longer present) and dormer windows with scrolled and finialled pediments on the east and north elevations. Leaded mansard detailing is visible on the roof between the dormers. The south and west elevations are simpler in design. The west elevation shows evidence of an intended westward extension, which would have created an L-shaped building; however, this extension was never built, possibly due to slower-than-expected sales of the apartments.

The northeast corner of the ground floor formerly housed a Post Office, indicated by the larger, shop-style windows.

The interior of the apartments was not accessible during a resurvey in 2004.

The building is primarily constructed of rubble, with ashlar sandstone used for the ground floor of the front elevation, dressings, and mouldings. The roof is piended and slated, with leaded mansard detailing on the east and north elevations. Wallhead and mid-pitch stacks are present, mostly built of corniced ashlar with circular cans.

The windows are mainly timber sash and case windows with four panes. The east elevation features two-leaf timber panelled doors, while the north elevation has a timber and glazed door. The building underwent renovation in the late 20th century, and it is likely that many of the windows and doors are replacements from that time.