St Colmac Manse (also known as Cnoc an Raer) is an historic building in St Colmac on the Isle of Bute, Scotland. Dating to around 1835, it was the clergy house for the now-ruined and Category C listed St Colmac's Church, located about 600 feet (180 m) to the east, built around the same time.[2][3] Both properties are believed to have been built by John Paterson, a "very able builder and skilled mason"[4] of Largs.[5][6]

St Colmac Manse
Cnoc an Raer
The manse in 2019
Map
General information
Town or citySt Colmac, Isle of Bute
CountryScotland
Coordinates55°51′36″N 5°06′55″W / 55.86010°N 5.11521°W / 55.86010; -5.11521
Completedc. 1835 (189 years ago) (1835)
Technical details
Floor count2 (in original building; 1 in addition)
Floor areaApprox. 2,689 square feet (249.8 m2)[1]
Design and construction
Main contractorJohn Paterson
Other information
Number of rooms11

The manse sits back about 250 feet (76 m) from the northern side of the B875 road,[7] and several feet above it, at the end of a long driveway.[5] It is two storeys, with a rear extension added in the 20th century. Also at the rear there are two stone outbuildings under slate roofs.[8] The property sits on 1.79 acres (0.72 ha).

Interior edit

The interior includes a solid-fuel Rayburn range in the kitchen and a cantilever staircase leading up to the first floor. The ground floor has an entrance vestibule, a living room, dining room, music room, kitchen, laundry room and pantry, while on the first floor there is a bathroom (with original Victorian clawfoot bath), the master bedroom with dressing room/bedroom, plus three further bedrooms.[8]

Exterior edit

In the back garden there are bedded stone footings of a rectangular building and yard wall. These are the remains of the former Edinmore farm, in records from 1576.[9] The farm belonged to the Estate of Wester Kames. Occupation of the farm ended shortly before the manse's construction.[10]

References edit

  1. ^ Cnoc an Raer Manse floor plan – Galbraith
  2. ^ St Colmac's Church, Bute – British Listed Buildings
  3. ^ Historic Environment Scotland. "ST COLMAC'S CHURCH INCLUDING GRAVEYARD, BOUNDARY WALL, GATEPIERS AND GATES (LB18283)".
  4. ^ Essay on Curling and Artificial Pond Making, J. Cairnie (1833)
  5. ^ a b Bute, St Colmac's ChurchCanmore
  6. ^ The London Gazette, Part 4 (1847), p.3778
  7. ^ Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland: A Graphic and Accurate Description of Every Place in Scotland, Francis Hindes Groome (1901)
  8. ^ a b Cnoc an Raer – Galbraith
  9. ^ "Bute farm names with personal name elements" – Farm names, Bute Archaeology, p. 61
  10. ^ Bute Croc-an-Raer – Canmore