Old Manse, Balmaha

The Old Manse, Balmaha

The Old Manse is a near-Z-plan, two-storey harled house with distinctive bow-ended wings, situated in Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. It survives as the original manse of Buchanan and demonstrates several major phases of development spanning from the mid-18th century onwards.

The core of the building dates to the mid-18th century, comprising a three-bay, two-storey rectangular-plan house with its front elevation facing south-southwest towards Inchcailloch island. The manse may incorporate earlier fabric, possibly remains of manses that served the parish church on Inchcailloch until its abandonment in 1621 in favour of a mainland chapel.

During the late 18th or first half of the 19th century, significant additions were made. A single bay extension was added to the south-east gable, with a single-storey wing behind it (originally containing stalls and laundry) extending to the north-east. A near-square, single bay addition was built to the north-west gable, alongside a single-storey lean-to to the rear. By 1896, the north-east gable had been further extended with a three-bay bow-end featuring a semi-conical roof. A single-bay, square-plan addition was made to the left of the front elevation at this time, incorporating a new principal entrance with a two-leaf timber storm door; the original centre entrance on the south-west elevation was converted to a window. Around 1910, a matching three-bay bow-end was added opposite the existing one.

The fenestration is regularly disposed across the exterior, with larger openings to the later additions. Some earlier openings, including those to the south-west elevation with mullions, have been enlarged. The 18th-century section of the south-west elevation features piended and flat-roofed dormers of probable early 20th-century date, alongside a larger dormer breaking the eaves.

The exterior is predominantly harled with smooth painted stone margins. The single-storey wing is painted rubble with tooled margins. Timber sash and case windows with horns predominate; the 18th-century section retains mostly 12-pane glazing whilst the remainder has 8-pane glazing, all with very fine glazing bars. Roofs are piended with graded slates. The 18th-century section has two coped ridge stacks, whilst the bow-ended wings have corniced ridge stacks with circular cans. Some cast iron rainwater goods remain.

The interior contains two stairs: a timber stair with turned balusters in the later north-west wing and a stone stair with winders in the 18th-century section. Bolection-moulded cornicing survives in places. Several classical timber chimneypieces of 19th-century date are present, along with a black marble chimneypiece to the bow-ended first-floor drawing room. Attic rooms feature timber-boarded ceilings.

To the rear stands a single-storey T-plan steading, probably of late 18th or early 19th-century date, built of painted random rubble with squared quoins and margins. Originally L-plan, its south-east wing was slightly taller to accommodate a hay loft, with the loft door breaking the eaves. By 1896, a north-west addition had been made, forming the present T-plan; this newer section features a large opening to the south-west for modern farm machinery. Flagstones and stalls remain visible within the steading. The roofs are piended with graded slates.