Description

Robert Lugar, 1808-09. Castellated Tudor-gothic. Stugged squared sandstone, ashlar margins and dressings. String course; hoodmoulds; battlemented parapet; battered base course; blind cruciform arrowslits.

E (MAIN) ELEVATION: slightly concave 5-bay near-symmetrically elevation; lower service wing at angle to right. Porte cochere porch at centre, broad segmental arch, framed by octagonal, dome capped columns, battlemented blocking course; half-glazed door. Tripartite window above, blank plaque above; decorative corner bartizans. Tall, battlemented round tower behind, machicolated octagonal tower. Bay to left, segmental arched window at ground, 1st floor; octagonal tower, bay to outer left. Blank bay to right, windows at ground, upper floor and narrow octagonal corner tower to outer right. Lower 3-bay angled wing to right, 3 Y-traceried sash and case windows at upper floor, broad door at ground outer left, Y-traceried lancet to right ground. Round clock tower to outer right, machicolated parapet, ashlar bellcote. 2-bay battlemented return. Parapetted screen wall to castle yard recessed to outer right, 3-centred arch coach door, pedestrian door to left.

W GARDEN ELEVATION: 5-bay asymmetrical main block; 5-bay service block recessed to outer left. Octagonal tower advanced at centre, machicolated battlemented parapet; 2 doors at outer facets; bipartite at centre. Segmental-headed windows at centre at 1st floor, blind arrrowloops; tripartite round-arched window to outer facets; blind arrowloop at centre. Narrow bay to right, square tower bay to outer right; broad tripartite window at centre ground, flanking blind windows; window above left window at 1st floor, 2 window at 1st, upper floor at tower bay. Angle 2-bay block to outer left, battlemented turret with chamfered arrises to outre left, lancets at ground, 1st floor, blind 2-light lancet at upper floor. Bipartite window at ground right; window at 1st floor to right. Service wing recessed to left. Battlemented tower bay to outer left, dome capped bartizan to outer left corner, single lancet at upper floor, blank bay to right, plaque at upper level; 3 bays symmetrically disposed to right, windows at ground, upper floor.

S SIDE ELEVATION: broad tower bay to outer left, tripartite window at ground, segemental window ta 1st floor, smaller window at upper floor. 3-bay block to otuer right, tripartite round-arched window at centre ground, 3 windows symmetrically disposed at 1st floor; octagonal tower bay to outer right.

12-pane timber sash and case windows; pointed arch Y-traceried windows. Pedestalled, grouped diamond aligned chimney stacks; corniced.

INTERIOR: original and later 19th century decorative schemes; vestibule; ribbed vaulting springing from clustered colonnettes; gothic door panelling; clustered columned surround. Wooden ribbing with central wooden ceiling rosette in drawing room; decorative filigreed plasterwrok cornices. Marble fireplaces. Plain cast-iorn stair.

Statement of Interest

Balloch Castle was one of 3 castles built by Robert Lugar in Dunbartonshire, Tullichewan and Boturich being the other two. It was built for John Buchanan of Ardoch, an original partner in the Glasgow Ship Bank. The designs for the 3 castles were published in 1811 and were influential in the developmnet of secular Gothic style. Balloch apparently incorporates an earlier plainer building. The house is now the headquarters of Scottish National Heritage and the estate is a country park. The masonry hasa problem with efflorescence. The lodges and gatepiers are listed separately. The earthwork in the grounds marking the site of the original castle is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Balloch Castle at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q3299192

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

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