Invertrossachs House

Invertrossachs House

A large rectangular-plan shooting and hunting lodge built in 1912 by W. L. Carruthers for Sir Charles Watson. The house replaced a mid-19th-century large lodge in the Highland Style which Queen Victoria visited in 1869. A tree reputedly planted by Victoria remains in the garden. The building sits on an elevated site with panoramic views across Loch Venachar and is a landmark visible from the A821 Road to Brig O' Turk, with strong local historical associations.

The principal south-west elevation is asymmetrically arranged. Architectural plans indicate that this elevation was originally similar to the south-east and north-east elevations, being near-symmetrical, restrained and rather austere. The swept attic to the ground floor and the entrance tower, added in the mid to later 20th century, softened the principal elevation. The main doorway is located within a re-entrant ogee-roofed tower, open at ground floor with two tapered columns carrying the later first-floor addition with an emblazoned balconette to the window. The principal elevation is characterised by a cottagey feel, with the roof swept to the centre of the ground floor and rising to the left, creating the appearance of a piended section informally balancing that to the right. A wall extending outward divides the main house from the former service block, with a large bell facing into the main drive. Behind the wall lies the former service yard, against which a semi-circular game larder is built. The south-west elevation of the setback former service wing remains unaltered from the original design scheme. The north-west elevation of the service block features a canted oriel window at first-floor level set against a two-storey tower with an ogee-capped roof, these later additions probably added at the same time as those to the south-west.

The south-east elevation is perfectly balanced with two piended slightly advanced outer bays. A French door is set centrally, giving access to a raised rubble terrace with a central pond. Steps lead to a walkway providing access to the Garden Shelter built into the descending ground.

The north-east elevation is formal and near-symmetrical, giving it a massive and stark appearance. A 1920s or 1930s exposed brick and render single-storey sun lounge with attractive scalloped glazing set within large round-arched windows is positioned against the slightly advanced outer bay. A large rubble terrace runs the entire elevation, providing views across Loch Venachar. Immediately below sits a former tennis court with a picturesque dilapidated tennis pavilion.

Interior

The ground floor features parquet flooring and simple cornices throughout. A large hall runs the entire length of the house from west to east with applied panelled mouldings to the walls and Vitruvian scroll detailing to the dado. A limed oak dogleg stair with first-floor gallery is lit by a rectangular geometric design cupola. The former library contains built-in oak cupboards to dado height and a large salvaged Tudor arched chimneypiece with strapwork detailing, possibly 17th century. Other ground-floor rooms retain well-detailed chimneypieces appearing to be 19th century. As with the hall, a number of the principal ground-floor rooms have panelled mouldings arranged to the walls. The service block has been converted into holiday apartments. The first floor and attic were not viewed at the time of the 2005 survey, though the owner informed that they were plain and had been altered and modernised.

Materials

The walls are white painted render. The main doorpiece incorporates side lights framing a timber door with four panels to the lower section and nine-pane upper glazed section. Timber multi-paned sash and case windows are used throughout. Various styles of gabled and piended timber dormer windows feature, some with casement openings, others sash and case. Overhanging eaves carry piended grey slate roofs with lead ball finials to ogee roofs. Numerous corniced ridge and wallhead rendered stacks with clay circular tapered cans are present.

Garden Shelter

Located to the descending ground south-east of the house, the structure was built to provide sheltered accommodation overlooking an adjoining small enclosed garden and wider views across the valley. Rectangular in plan, it is built from thin rubble slabs with a swept grey slate roof. The north-west elevation, built into sloping ground, has a pair of narrow horizontal windows set close to the ground, with a swept timber boarded gablet to the roof featuring a diamond-shaped panel giving access to the roof space. The two side elevations possess single windows each. The south-west elevation is open, supported on a pair of piers, with a swept gablet designed as a dovecote with five flight holes centred to the roof. A rubble retaining wall flanks the pavilion. The small garden is built into the slope, with the rubble retaining wall to the north-west having a flight of steps to its north side. The wall steps down to the south-west and north-east; the end wall to the south-east is curved with a central opening giving access to a short flight of steps. The garden was unplanted at the time of the 2005 survey.

Tennis Pavilion

Picturesquely designed with interesting features, the pavilion is located north-east of the house and was in a state of dilapidation with the rear part of its roof covered with a tarpaulin in 2005. Polygonal in plan, a veranda is orientated to the south-west overlooking the former tennis court, supported by two Doric columns. The central door to the veranda gives access to the interior, where a large brick open chimney hearth dominates. The walls are unplastered red brick with exposed rafters to the ceiling. The proportions of the hearth continue with a massive rendered brick stack located to the rear. The building features timber multi-paned windows and doors, some of which were missing in 2005. The former tennis court was overgrown at the time of the survey.

Kennels

Located south-east of the house, setback from the main drive, these single-storey and attic former kennels are rectangular in plan with a rear square-plan outshot. Two open railed runs occupy the principal south elevation with small accommodation quarters to the rear set below a hipped roof. A piended outshot to the rear houses a Belfast sink and small fireplace, possibly used as a bothy. The walls are rendered with a sandstone stack carrying a single can. These kennels are suggested to have been built as quarantine accommodation due to their small scale and the fact that a larger kennels block formerly stood nearby.