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Ayr, Doonfoot Road, Belleisle Hotel
Country House (18th Century), Hotel (20th Century)
Site Name Ayr, Doonfoot Road, Belleisle Hotel
Classification Country House (18th Century), Hotel (20th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Belleisle House Hotel
Canmore ID 41614
Site Number NS31NW 33
NGR NS 33118 19356
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/41614
- Council South Ayrshire
- Parish Ayr
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Kyle And Carrick
- Former County Ayrshire
NS31NW 33.00 33118 19356
NS31NW 33.01 33196 19457 Stable Block
NS31NW 33.02 32971 19504 South Lodge
NS31NW 33.03 33072 19798 North Lodge
NS31NW 33.04 33076 19238 Greenhouse
NS31NW 33.05 32964 19492 South Lodge Bridge
NS31NW 33.06 33019 19205 Walled Garden
NS31NW 33.07 32770 19065 Belleisle Lodge
EXTERNAL REFERENCE
Scottish Record Office
Slating of the Servant's Hall, the Gardener's House and the Chaise House, Belleisle House.
Building the milkhouse and chaise house, altering the stair making a gateway.
Payments noted in Cashbook
1793-1794 (January) GD 142/24
Stone for portico for Belleisle House
Payment noted in Casbook.
1794 (May) GD 142/24
2-storey with basement and attic, 11-bay Scottish Baronial mansion. Coursed sandstone; ashlar dressings. String courses at ground and 1st floor; crowstepped gables; finials at apexes.
Hugh Hamilton of Pinmore built the mansion of Belleisle and laid out the policies, circa 1787. At his death, the estates were transferred to the second son of his cousin John Hamilton of Sundrum, Colonel Alexander West Hamilton, who enlarged and reconstructed the original house in 1829. Further additions circa 1900 were made to the NE by the Coats family (who purchased the house in 1898). As noted by Michael C Davis, Belleisle bears remarkable similarity to Burns' Milton Lockhart in Lanarkshire of 1829, including its large, mullioned and transomed windows, crowstepped gables and tall, thin pencil towers. Of particular note is the elaborate interior Jacobean plasterwork and timber carving.(Historic Environment Scotland List Entry)
Photographic Survey (19 July 2019)
Late 18th century house, expanded in Scots Baronial/ Jacobean style in the 1820s-30s. Further additions and alterations over the later 19th century and in the 20th century.
Close & Riches note the original construction for Hugh Hamilton (his brother building nearby Rozelle House) using proceeds from their (Jamaica, sugar) West Indies estates (1) both naming their properties after their plantations. The building being reconstructed for Colonel Alexander West Hamilton, Davis suggests possibly by William Burn (2), Close & Riches suggest David Bryce whilst in Burn’s office, further additions to the property following purchase by the Coats family at the end of the 19th century (3).
The original house is evident to the garden-facing left-most bays – a double string course appears to mark the junction. It is unclear to what the 1877 date stone with initials WSD, refers to. The estate is however noted to be under the ownership of William Smith Dixon (4) when the glasshouse was added to the estate in 1879. Further research would test this potential link.
The building was substantially fire damaged on 14 June 2019. The roof was lost, as was the interior. At the time of visit unstable masonry was being removed for storage, under supervision of South Ayrshire Council.
A photographic survey has been carried out following extensive fire damage on 14 June 2019, accompanied by South Ayrshire Council. Due to the extent of damage access was limited to the exterior. Several associated estate buildings were also photographed during the visit.
Visited by HES Survey & Recording (IF & LM) June 2019.
1) Close, R & Riches, A (2012) The Buildings of Scotland: Ayrshire & Arran Yale University Press, p 94
2) Davis, M (1991) The Castle and Mansions of Ayrshire, pp86, 87, 176, 177
3) Close, R & Riches, A (2012) The Buildings of Scotland: Ayrshire & Arran Yale University Press, p 94
4) Belleisle Conservatory Limited (2021) retrieved from https://www.belleisleconservatory.com/history.html
