Overtoun Hospital

James Smith of Glasgow, architect. Built 1860-63. Elaborately detailed large, asymmetrical, Scottish Baronial mansion house; 2 and 3 storeys over basement, and set on slope, with 5-storey square tower at north west corner and 3-storey stair tower to west. Stugged coursers with polished dressings and raised quoins. Either square or segmental-headed windows with shaped hood-moulds, carved label stops, pedimented dormer

heads to upper floors, corbelled angle turrets and crowstepped gables.

North elevation: tower with corbelled and crenellated parapet and cap house attached to 3-storey entrance range; off-centre large corbelled and crenellated porte-cochere leading to projecting porch with round- arched door; stair window to left, with two 2-storey bays beyond and angle turret.

South (garden) elevation: Asymmetrically massed, stepped down from west to east. Outer gabled bays linked by boldly bracketted balcony at raised ground floor with central stair to garden. Canted windows in outer bays; angle turret at south west corbelled from 2nd floor. Conical-roofed stair tower in re-entrant angle at south east corbelled at upper level. Plate glass windows throughout, mosly sashes. Stacks,

coped, or with grouped diamond flues; slated roofs, with fish-scale slating over turrets. Modern steel fire escape to west.

Interior: Elaborate classical doorpieces, chimneypieces and entablatures, and ornate ceiling plasterwork. Vaulted stair passage, decorated with painted panels, leads from main door into Corinthian- columned entrance hall. Principal rooms on ground and 1st floors lead off long lobby; ground floor lobby has ribbed ceiling and 2 shell-hooded niches with entablatures; drawing room is L-plan, with very rich plasterwork, and painted ceiling panels. Dining room and library ceilings each have pendant cornice. Cast-iron stair balustrade has lion rampant pattern entwined in thistle decoration.

Terraced, rectangular garden enclosure to south is enclosed by buttressed and bull-faced ashlar retaining wall with pierced ashlar parapet, steps are central on south wall; circular bastions at south east and south west corners.