Craigforth House, Scottish Amicable Insurance Company

NS79SE 56.00 77462 94869

NS79SE 56.01 7746 9490 Ice-house

NS79SE 56.02 77468 94990 Scottish Amicable Insurance Company, Annexe

NS79NE 202 77928 95134 The Lodge

(NS 7746 9486) Craigforth House (NAT)

OS 6" map (1958)

Craigforth House. Craigforth House stands on the NE side of the hill of the same name about two miles W of Stirling, and commands an extensive prospect of the Carse and of the Ochil Hills. In its original form the building is no doubt of late 17th-century or early 18th-century date, but it has been altered from time to time and was gutted by fire in 1930, since when it has been completely restored. The shell of the building survived the fire, and some care was taken in rebuilding to preserve the old external appearance of the house, the wall surfaces and window surrounds having been renewed where necessary in cement.

The main building is a rectangular block measuring 76ft in length by 42ft in breadth over walls which are 3ft 4in thick, while a later wing has been added on the NW. The main block rises to the height of three storeys and an attic and has a hipped and slated roof. The present treatment of the walls suggests that the house was built in ashlar. The principal facade (Pl. 195 C), which faces NE, is simple and symmetrical in treatment. The entrance-doorway is centrally placed on the ground floor and on either side of it there are three windows, but the addition of a heavy Doric porch has masked the regular spacing of the voids. The first-and second-floor windows are set over the openings below and all have moulded architraves. Those of the first floor are further emphasised by a moulded cornice supported on brackets, each alternate window having in addition a triangular pediment. There is a plain plinth and the walls finish in a moulded eaves-cornice above which there is a blocking- course, raised and corniced in the centre. The SW facade is similar in treatment to the NE one.

The interior has been entirely renewed in recent years and adapted for office accommodation, but the two original transverse partitions suggest that, before the rearrangement, the house contained three principal apartments on both ground and first floors.

The house was in the possession of the Callendars of Craigforth and their descendants until the present century, but is now occupied as business premises. An early view of the house is given in Fleming (1902) together with a sketch made about 1900.

RCAHMS 1963

Craigforth House is now almost entirely modern and in use as office accommodation.

Visited by OS (WDJ) 19 September 1968

NMRS REFERENCE:

Library

Newspaper cuttings from The Stirling Sentinel regarding fire (Missing at time of upgrade, 03/03/04)