Dunselma Cottage, High Road, Strone

Dunselma and associated buildings were built for James Coats Junior to the designs of architects Rennison and Scott in 1885-6. The Stables and Cottage are part of a complex of buildings that are the ultimate expression of the conspicuous wealth of late 19th century industrialists. This building is an important part of that set of buildings, prominent in views both to and from the main house and reflecting the architecture of Dunselma. The L-plan 1½-storey buildings consist of stables and staff living quarters.

The stables are assumed to have been built at the same time as the main house at Dunselma. The principal elevation is to the High Road, facing SE. This asymmetrical elevation has a crow-stepped gable to the right and a pointed dormer to the left. The windows are single and bipartite with stone mullions, the single door round-headed. The return elevation, facing the main house and perhaps formerly the principal elevation, has two advanced crowstepped gables. The building is decorated with moulded string and eaves courses and decorative hood-moulds throughout. The inside elevations of the courtyard have regular fenestration and pedimented dormers. The entrance to the courtyard is to the NE. Formerly there was a small L-plan greenhouse to the NE of the courtyard but this has since been demolished.

The stables fell into disrepair through the later 20th century. At the time of the resurvey (2004), restoration work was in progress. The ventilator spire and wind-vane had been removed for re-leading.

Interior: although the stables have lain empty for some time, the timber boarding survives to many of the rooms, with some decorative timber ceilings.

Materials: harled with sandstone ashlar dressings. Partly slated roof with stone ridge. Ashlar stacks and clay cans. Cast iron rainwater goods. Timber sash and case windows.

James Coats Junior (1841-1912) was the grandson of Sir James Coats, the Paisley cotton millionaire. He was the president of the Royal Clyde Yacht Club and is known to have owned 16 yachts. Coats' main house was Ferguslie in Paisley (demolished).

The house later belonged to Walter Bergius of the Bergius Engine company, later the Kelvin company.

Little work by architects Rennison and Scott is known. It appears they worked mostly for the Coats family. J.A Rennison designed Carskiey House (1904-9) in a Scottish Vernacular idiom on the Mull of Kintyre for Kate Coats (Walker, 2000, 62). The only only other known house by the practice is Cartside House, Renfrew, of 1880.

The complex at Dunselma included the main house with lawns to the front incorporating a tennis court, the stables and staff accommodation on the High Road and the Lodge, Boathouse and a large palm house (since demolished) on the shore. (Historic Scotland)

27 March 2012: External inspection finds the fine building in poor condition. many areas of the roof have no roof slates of under felt, other sections appear to have been repaired at some point in the past. Rainwater goods are rusted with broken and missing downpipes. The stone walls are very damp in places, there is extensive render failure. There is no evidence of current repair works being underway.

7 January 2021: A member of the public advises that roof tiles have been removed, there are multiple broken windows and rainwater goods are blocked or have been removed. The frontage is damaged and is being propped.

10 March 2022: External inspection finds the building remains disused. The felted roof coverings are deteriorating although chimney stacks appear to remain plumb. Rainwater goods are rusting. Glazings to windows are missing in places. Dampness remains an issue. Props remain in place within an earlier intervention to the principle elevation. Risk level raised to High.