An eighteenth-century residence absorbed into a red-sandstone Victorian hotel records Brodick’s shift toward organised tourism and a new ferry landing.
Quick facts
- Date
- Earlier house of 1782; converted and extended as a hotel in the 1850s
- Architect / designer
- Original designers not securely recorded
- Type
- Irregular stone hotel incorporating an earlier residence
- Designation
- Listed building, Category C (LB13415)
- OS grid reference
- NS 02060 35838
Architecture and continuing use
The irregular two-storey and attic building reveals different phases through harled earlier masonry and a more formal snecked-sandstone front. Gabled dormers, tall linked octagonal stacks and a large semi-octagonal bay animate the slate roofline and garden elevation. Later service and hospitality additions partially mask the rear.
Its story
The operator dates the original residence to 1782 and records later medical use. It became a hotel in 1852, followed by a red-sandstone extension in 1858 as ferry traffic shifted toward the present pier. Continued alteration reflects changing expectations of island hospitality; the complex was listed in 1994.
Why it is included
It links fabric directly to Brodick’s nineteenth-century resort growth and remains one of the cohort’s clearest examples of continuing historic use.
What to notice
- The distinction between harled earlier fabric and red-sandstone hotel work.
- Octagonal chimney stacks linked above the roof.
- The prominent semi-octagonal bay facing the wider setting.
Reading the surroundings
Hotel operation does not open bedrooms, gardens or service areas to non-guests. Use normal public entrances for booked stays, meals or enquiries and respect staff directions.
Timeline
- 1782 The earliest surviving residence was built.
- 1852 Former medical premises were converted into a hotel.
- 1858 A substantial red-sandstone extension expanded the new hospitality use.
- 1994 The multi-phase hotel received Category C listing.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The operator’s history and designation describe overlapping dates and additions, but do not identify every designer or assign every rear wall to a precise phase.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: The Douglas Hotel, Brodick, LB13415 — Current designation status, statutory identity, official mapped point, date, fabric and significance.
- The Douglas Hotel: building history — Operator-published history of the earlier residence, medical use, 1850s hotel conversion and red-sandstone extension.
- Trove: The Douglas Hotel — National collection entry for the designation identity, mapped location, related records and available archive material.
- The Douglas Hotel: hotel and visitor information — Current operator evidence that the listed building continues as a hotel close to the ferry terminal.
Location
OS grid reference NS 02060 35838 · Location confidence: High for the current HES designation point; public text separately qualifies component extent, terrain and access. · 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.
Suggest a marker correction
Suggest a more accurate position
The teal marker is the current published position. The orange marker starts slightly to its right so both remain visible; this is only a visual starting position. Tap the correct place on the map or drag the orange marker. Sending this form creates a private review entry only; it does not move the published marker.
Check this area in Google Maps Choose the Satellite layer there if useful.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. You can also enter checked coordinates below.