A2Z And The Clachan Hotel, Main Street, Aberfoyle

Loch Lomond And Trossachs National Park Planning Authority

This 3-storey gabled building, situated on the main street of Aberfoyle, was built in the late 19th century as a temperance hotel with 2 ground floor shop units, the W of which (A2Z) retains its original shop fittings. The front (S) elevation was originally detailed with ornate half timbering, but this was removed following a fire. Despite the loss of this detail, the building continues to make a positive architectural contribution to the streetscape and is of historical interest as one of the few late 19th century commercial buildings, built due to the increasing passing tourism, which still remains in the village. It is a rare survival of a high quality, purpose built late 19th century shop interior.

The building stands on the N side of Aberfoyle Main Street; it has asymmetrical 3-bay, 3-storey front elevation. The outer bays rise to gables and have timber canted oriels to the 1st floor. The remainder of the windows are double with timber mullions. The centre bay originally had a dormer to the roof, but this was removed following the fire. The ground floor shop fronts project slightly from the face of the building, with ashlar sandstone piers supporting the corniced fascia. The W shop front retains it original form, with large plate glass display windows, and a central recessed entrance door. Thenon-original door between the two shop fronts gives access to the hotel, while the unit to the right, which no longer retains its original shop front, is now a public bar which forms part of the hotel.

The side elevations are very plain, gables with sparing fenestration. This may be because it was expected that the main street would be developed to create a near continuous frontage, and so the side elevations would be obscured.

Interiors:

The W shop unit (A2Z) was originally a luxury chemist's shop, and is fully fitted out with high quality floor to ceiling display shelving which is highly decorative. It is surmounted by a cornice with raking and segmental pediments. There is a variety of shelving profiles, including a canted corner display. All the shelving is backed by timber-boarded lining to the walls.There is also an original service counter. The shop originally had a front and rear room, divided by a timber screen; the lower part of the screen has been removed, but the upper section remains. The rear room has timber-lined walls but no shelving. Both rooms have plasterwork to the ceiling, roll-moulded to the rear room and egg-and-dart to the front. The Clachan Hotel retains little original interior character, apart from cast-iron balusters to the stair, and some ornamental plasterwork, principally to the ground floor entrance hall.

Materials:

Harled. To front and side elevations, timber sash and case windows; 6-pane top sashes and single pane lower sashes to 1st floor, single-pane upper and lower sashes to 2nd floor. Pitched slate roof. Gable head stacks to E and W (side) gables.