ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL OBAN, LORN AND THE ISLES DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AREA COMMITTEE
BUILDINGS OF SPECIAL ARCHITECTURAL OR HISTORIC INTEREST – ISLE OF COLL RE-SURVEY
CONSULTATION FROM HISTORIC SCOTLAND
1. SUMMARY
1.1 Historic Scotland has re-surveyed Coll and is consulting the Council on its proposals for additions to the list, as well as de- listing some and down-grading another. Most contentious is the proposal to list the roofless ruin of Grishipoll House but, at the same time, to de-list two cottages at the northern end that have now lost their roofs. 1.2 The Old Castle at Breachacha is due to lose its Category “A” status, being proposed for down-grading to Category “B”, but the historic buildings here will form a Category “A” Group. 1.3 There are two further cases where buildings are not considered suitable for listing but where Historic Scotland is seeking the Council’s views. 1.4 Historic Scotland is also recommending that the Council designates Arinagour as a conservation area but this is not within work programme of Conservation and Design Officer.
2. RECOMMENDATION
2.1 I recommend that we respond to Historic Scotland’s consultation on the following lines: • Argyll and Bute Council welcomes the new listings, with the exception of Grishipoll House which has been derelict for more than 100 years and is perhaps more worthy of scheduling as an Ancient Monument; • the Council also welcomes the grouping together of the two castles and the farm steading group at Breachacha as a Category “A” Group but we also suggest that the MacLean burial ground (which will remain at Category “B”) and the walled garden might be added to this group; • the Council notes with disappointment the down- grading of Old Breachacha Castle from “A” to “B”; • we are also disappointed at the de-listing of the now roofless cottages at Bousd and Sorisdale Bay but recognise that they have both deteriorated rapidly over the 20 years; • we agree that Arnibost and Totronald are not suitable for listing, having lost their original windows.
2.2 I also recommend the Council informs Historic Scotland that designating Arinagour as a conservation area is not high on the Council’s list of priorities.
3. BACKGROUND
3.1 The draft revised list for Coll relates to a re-survey done in August 2007 by Historic Scotland. This has been an opportunity to re-examine all the listed buildings on the island and to describe them in a clear and consistent manner.
3.2 Proposed additions to the list (at Category C(S)) are Cornaigmore and Sorisdale Cottages; Arinagour Parish Church (with its fine roof); together with the walled garden and farm steading associated with the Breachacha castles. While the farm steading and the two castles will form a Category “A” group, the nearby walled garden and the already listed MacLean burial ground will not.
3.3 Also proposed for listing is Grishipoll House, a fine tacksman’s residence visited by Johnson and Boswell. Although undoubtedly of considerable architectural and historic interest it has been derelict for more than 100 years and is in a ruinous state that is perhaps more appropriate for Scheduled Ancient Monument status.
3.4 Old Breachacha Castle is to be down-graded from Category “A” to “B” because it lost some of its historic integrity during its reconstruction, and there is a better example of such a castle (albeit ruined) on Mull.
3.5 Two cottages at Bousd and Sorisdale Bay are considered to be no longer worthy of listing as they have fallen into a ruinous state over the last 20 years. This de-listing may reduce the possibility of re-occupation (with the help of a thatching grant from Historic Scotland).
3.6 The cottage near Arnibost school and the farm and steading at Totronald were considered for listing but we agree that they are not suitable, having been altered and with replacement windows.
3.7 The Council has no plans to consider designating the village of Arinagour as a Conservation Area as suggested by Historic Scotland. We are actively working on appraisals for the four Slate Island conservation areas and, if work was to start on designating any new conservation area, it would probably be Oban where there are Special Built Environment areas but no conservation areas.
4. CONCLUSION
4.1 These proposals raise certain questions regarding the principles involved in protecting historic buildings.
4.2 Firstly, it is not common to list roofless ruins. This is why it seems on the face of it to be perverse to propose de-listing two cottages because they have lost their roofs and are now roofless but, at the same time, to add a long-term roofless ruin to the list.
4.3 Secondly, although Historic Scotland’s inspectors recognise that the quality of the conversion of the ruined Old Breachacha Castle to full residential use is very high, they appear to be of the view that (however well this is done) such work devalues the architectural and historic integrity of the building in question.
4.4 Bringing neglected historic buildings back into use should be the guiding principle to be followed by local authorities but these proposals - to list one ruin, de-list two others and down-grade one that has been brought back into use - do present mixed messages that the local authority is left to deal with through the planning system.
5. IMPLICATIONS
Policy: None
Financial: None
Personnel: Minimal (unless we intend to designate a conservation area at Arinagour)
Community: Minimal
For further information contact: Angus Gilmour
Telephone 01546 604288
Head of Planning Services