Ord House layers an eighteenth-century mansion, nineteenth-century wings and a later hotel history around a shallow entrance court near Muir of Ord.
Quick facts
- Date
- Later 18th century; additions including James Ross, 1850
- Architect / designer
- James Ross for part of the 1850 work; other designers not established
- Type
- Harled country house with a U-plan entrance court and successive additions
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB14017)
- OS grid reference
- NH 51455 50464
Architecture, archaeology and continuing use
The central two-storey-and-attic block faces a shallow court between lower wings. Harled walls, ashlar margins, tripartite windows, a columned porch, gabled dormers and varied rear ranges record several building campaigns rather than a single design.
Its story
The main fabric is later eighteenth century, with alterations throughout the nineteenth century and work by James Ross in 1850. A recut stone bearing 1637 survives above, but Historic Environment Scotland does not treat that as the construction date of the standing house.
Why it is included
Category B listing recognises a substantial, evolving estate house whose accumulated plan and detail preserve changing patterns of Highland domestic and hospitality use.
What to notice
- The shallow U-plan court between the flanking wings.
- Tripartite windows and the columned entrance porch.
- The recut 1637 stone, read separately from the building date.
Reading the surroundings
The estate is managed hospitality property. Visit only for booked or expressly advertised access and do not assume the wider grounds are public.
Timeline
- Later 18th century The central mansion took its principal surviving form.
- 1850 James Ross contributed to one phase of alteration and enlargement.
- 2026 check The Estate of Ord advertised hospitality and event use.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The exact sequence of every wing and the original source of the recut datestone remain unresolved in the reviewed material.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Ord House, LB14017 — Designation status, mapped location, date, fabric and architectural or archaeological interest.
- Highland HER: Ord House — Local historic-environment identity and estate context.
- Estate of Ord — Current evidence of hospitality, weddings and event use.
Location
OS grid reference NH 51455 50464 · Location confidence: High: the national designation supplies an official mapped National Grid Reference; an additional source confirms the Place relationship, history or current identity. · 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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