Blairmore Place (Mixed Use Building At Blairmore Pier)

Blairmore Place is a mixed-use building located at Blairmore Pier, built around 1857 and later extended. This rectangular structure features businesses on the ground floor and apartments above, making it the only remaining commercial or mixed-use building in Blairmore. It highlights the significance of steamer traffic in the area’s development and contributes to the streetscape, serving as a focal point for the dispersed development along the shore.

The building has six window bays on the upper floor, while the ground floor showcases a series of large plate-glass shop windows and doors. The rendered ground floor is distinct from the upper level by a band course, with minimal decorative features apart from projecting rafters. At the rear, stone steps with cast iron balusters provide access to some of the upper flats. Historical maps indicate that the northern half of the building was constructed first and functioned as the telegraph office, with the southern half added later in the 19th century, likely to create a cohesive appearance. A historical photograph suggests there were originally three small shops and one double-fronted shop to the north, but a door has since been blocked up to create a larger unit, which is now a café/art gallery established in 2004.

The materials used in the construction include sandstone ashlar with raised margins and surrounds on the front elevation, while the ground floor is rendered. The building features a timber boarded double door and plate glass windows on the ground floor, with a variety of window types, including timber sash and case windows, on the upper floors. The roof is covered with grey slate, and there are stone stacks topped with polygonal clay cans.