Twelve Doric pilasters give this early-nineteenth-century range an unusually formal public face on Colchester Square.
Quick facts
- Date
- Early nineteenth century; later institutional conversions
- Architect / designer
- Builder unknown
- Type
- Georgian commercial and institutional range
- Designation
- Listed building, Category B (LB37523)
- OS grid reference
- NR 86232 87964
Architecture and continuing use
Two storeys and an attic rise beneath a piended slate roof. Painted ashlar fronts wrap from the square into Lochnell Street, while the ground-floor colonnade-like sequence of pilasters, architrave and cornice unifies several properties.
Its story
Built as part of Lochgilphead’s formal early townscape, the range was divided among three principal properties. HES records the southern part’s conversion to a post office and the institute’s adaptation as regional council offices in 1984.
Why it is included
It shows how a coherent Georgian frontage accommodated changing commercial, postal and administrative functions without losing its collective architectural identity.
What to notice
- The twelve ground-floor Doric pilasters.
- Alternating surrounds to upper-floor windows.
- The hipped roof, dormers and moulded chimney caps.
Reading the surroundings
View from the square and public pavement. Individual units may be private or commercial; do not enter unless the current occupier clearly permits it.
Timeline
- Early nineteenth century The formal Georgian range was built on the east side of the square.
- 20 July 1971 The three-property group was listed at Category B.
- 1984 The institute section was converted to regional council offices.
- 2026 The working Post Office branch was listed at a different Union Street address.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
The designation retains the Post Office name, but official branch information places the current Post Office at 5 Union Street. Present unit-by-unit occupancy in the listed range was not independently confirmed.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: The Institute and Former Post Office, LB37523 — Current designation status, official mapped location, date, fabric and significance.
- Post Office: Lochgilphead branch — Official current branch address confirming that postal service has moved elsewhere.
- Argyll and Bute Council: Lochgilphead Conservation Area Appraisal — Official context for Colchester Square and the conservation-area townscape.
- Trove search: Lochgilphead Institute Post Office Colchester Square — National collection search for site records, surveys and archive material.
Location
OS grid reference NR 86232 87964 · Location confidence: High for the current national designation point; public text separately states access, component-identity 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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