An early Alexander Thomson villa combines shallow gables, round-arched openings, a semicircular bay and an Italianate tower in an asymmetrical composition later divided into two homes.
Quick facts
- Date
- 1855
- Architect / designer
- Alexander Thomson
- Type
- Italianate villa now divided
- Designation
- Listed building, Category A (LB5151)
- OS grid reference
- NS 70911 58497
Architecture and continuing use
Pink sandstone walls are layered through advanced and recessed planes beneath boldly overhanging eaves. A seven-light semicircular bay marks the main room, while a three-stage tower, round arches, cast-iron ridgework and decorated entrance lampstands create a picturesque but tightly controlled whole.
Its story
Thomson designed the villa in 1855, before he largely abandoned Italianate towers in later work. The building was subsequently divided and altered, including modern entrance work, yet the main composition remains legible. Its plan and elevations closely relate to his earlier Craig Ailey at Kilcreggan.
Why it is included
Category A listing recognises an important early work by Alexander Thomson, sophisticated relation between plan and exterior massing, and surviving decorative details.
What to notice
- The three-stage tower with small square upper windows.
- The semicircular seven-light bay beneath heavy eaves.
- Lampstands with ram heads, anthemion and fleur-de-lys motifs.
Reading the surroundings
This is private residential property. View only from lawful public positions, do not enter drives or gardens, and avoid photographing residents or through windows.
Timeline
- 1855 Alexander Thomson designed the original single villa.
- later 19th–20th century Owners divided the house and made a sequence of additions.
- 1971 The property received Category A statutory protection.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The current division and residential character are clear from the designation, but this record does not identify private occupants or claim that every interior survives unchanged.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Gleneden and Craigievar, LB5151 — Current designation status, official mapped location, date, fabric and significance.
- Trove designation: LB5151 — Parallel national designation identity and archival context.
- Bothwell Historical Society: about Bothwell — Local historical context for the settlement, river crossing and surviving monuments.
Location
OS grid reference NS 70911 58497 · Location confidence: High: the current national designation supplies an exact mapped National Grid Reference; public text separately states access and current-use uncertainty. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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