Moray HER - NJ26SW0077 - THE TOWER HOTEL, 103-105 HIGH STREET, ELGIN

Main Details

Primary ReferenceNJ26SW0077
NameTHE TOWER HOTEL, 103-105 HIGH STREET, ELGIN
NMRS Card No.NJ26SW148
NMRS Numlink75600
Site Form Standing Structure
Site Condition Complete 2
Details Townhouse, at time in use as a hotel, now a commercial property. Dated 1634, and remodelled in the mid-late 19th century. It is a tall Scots-Baronial asymmetrical three-storey and attic, three-bay house, constructed from rubble with ashlar dressings. There is a modern shop front projecting at the ground floor with a central door and flanking shop windows, and there is a cast-iron balustrade above. The upper recessed facade is constructed from roughly tooled rubble with polished ashlar dressings. There are regular tall windows with 15-pane sashes at the first and second floor, and three wallhead dormers with shaped pedimented gables, the centre bearing 1853 date, and those flanking with the initials 'W M'. There is also a mullioned and transomed two-storey bowed window, with cable moulding decorated with animal heads above each window, and a half conical roof. There is a rubble-built circular tower of two stages with a small square cap house, with an iron cross at the apex, corbelled out at the third stage. It has roll-moulded and chamfered architraves to the doorway in the tower, and a moulded string course between the ground and first floor. There is a turret in the re-entrant angle with conical, fish scaled slates, and modern extensions to the rear. The main roof of the building is slate, and it has a stone ridge. The tower is supposed to have stood on the site of a house of the order of St John of Jerusalem. Although within the medieval burgh a watching brief by SUAT in 1987 located natural sand directly below the foundations of the 17th century townhouse.
Last Update04/06/2020

National Grid Reference: NJ 2163 6289


Easting: 302000, Northing: 858300

CompilerNQB
Date of Compilation 

Event Details

Event DateEvent Type
1905 Watching-Brief

Excavations and Surveys


Artefact and Ecofact


Ecofact

Samples 
Palynology 
Ecofact Notes 

Monument Types

Monument Type 1Monument Type 2Monument Type 3OrderProbability
DRESSINGSASHLARPOLISHEDB100
BALUSTERSCAST-IRON C100
DORMERS PEDIMENTEDD100
PEDIMENTS DATEDE100
PEDIMENTS INITIALLEDF100
WINDOWS MULLIONEDG100
WINDOWS TRANSOMEDH100
WINDOWS BOWEDI100
WINDOWS CABLE-MOULDEDJ100
TOWERSCIRCULAR K100
CAP-HOUSESSQUARE L100
CROSSESIRONAPEXM100
ARCHITRAVES CHAMFEREDN100
ARCHITRAVES ROLL-MOULDEDO100
STRING-COURSES MOULDEDP100
TURRETS  Q100
ROOFSSLATEFISHSCALEDR100
ROOFS CONICALS100
RIDGESSTONE T100
TOWNHOUSESRUBBLE-BUILTSCOTS-BARONIALA100

Google Map for NJ26SW0077


National Status

National Status
Listed Building, Category B

Regional Status


Photo Details

SourceReferencePhoto TypeFilm TypeDate
AASAAS/GR/76/CT120 Ground Colour Transparency 01/01/1976

Bibliographic Detail

Bib Ref NoTitleAuthorDateOthersEditorPublishedDetailsDate MDate Y
02836Castles, Manors & Town House surveyNQ BOGDAN1991Y DES/CSA EDINBURGHp.37 1991
09203ELGIN BURGH SURVEY: ARCHAEOLOGICAL UPDATE 1994  SUAT Ltd  1994
09307ARCHAEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF PROPOSED SHOPPING CENTRE DEVELOPMENT AT 107/147 HIGH STREET, ELGIN 1988   p. 1 1998

Location

Historic Administrative Area Name Elgin
Positional Accuracy Centred at
Buffer Zone 1-5m
Buffer Type Bespoke
Capture Scale Unknown
Spatial Feature Type Polygon: Known Site Extent

Environment

Constraints
Altitude 
Geology 
Topography
Aspect 1 
Aspect 2
Current Land Use
Vegetation
Soil Type 
Hydrology 

Measurements

Plan 
Shape 1
Shape 2
Diameter 
Length 
Width 
Thickness 
Depth 
Area 
Height 

Historic Land Use


Period Details

PeriodOrderProbabilityRadiocarbon DatesDate BuiltDate of DestructionDate of Loss
Post-Medieval (from 1560 AD) A100    
17th Century B100 1904  
19th Century C100    
Modern (1900 - 2050) D100    

Period Notes

Period Notes Built in 1634, and remodelled in the mid-late 19th century. The rear extensions are modern. Listed designation given on 26/01/1971.

Architect Details

Architect Details Built by Alexander Leslie, and remodelling work by Dr Mackay.

Maritime Archaeology

empty