Kilmacolm, Balrossie School, Water Tower

ORNAMENTAL OUTBUILDING: small, square-plan, flat-roofed outbuilding forming focal point in garden. Rendered brick with painted red sandstone dressings. Deep, battered base course; coped wallhead; rusticated long and short quoins and window margins; central windows to side and rear elevations. Studded timber-boarded door with strap hinges in deep round-arched, roll-moulded architrave; panel above containing cartouche inscribed "The Gift of H['] 1899" 4 steps to door.

Built as an orphanage by the Sailors´ Orphans Society of Scotland. This was the first orphanage to be built by the society, and previous to its completion the society had housed its orphans in rented accommodation. Money for the building was donated by ´several donors´, including one anonymous benefactor who gave £3500: the deliberately obscure inscriptions on the Girls´ Villa and garden building are probably the monogram of this person. The architect of the building is given in the Glasgow Advertiser article as H and D Barclay, but as Hugh Barclay died in 1892, this is probably the sole work of his younger brother David. The Barclay brothers specialised in school design, and were responsible for a large number of schools in and around Glasgow, including Glasgow Academy; their most prominent building, however, was Greenock Municipal Buildings.

The orphanage was designed to house 82 boys and 32 girls. The principle building contained accommodation for 50 boys in the left wing and 32 boys in the right wing, each wing forming a separate house with its own dormitories, dining room, playshed and other accommodation. The central tower contained administrative offices, with stores on the ground floor and a water tank at the top. The large gabled section that runs through the centre of the block contained a large hall for assemblies, services, teaching, and other similar activities. Girls were housed separately in the villa to the North of the main building. The exact purpose of the ornamental square building in the garden is unknown. It appears from the stonework that the roof of this building has been raised at some point. (Historic Scotland)

The Design and Access statement submitted with redevelopment plans (2012) notes the building functioned as a water tower and has been reduced to its current size.