Ardverikie House is a Category A Listed building situated on a promontory overlooking Loch Laggan in the Scottish Highlands. It was designed by John Rhind of Inverness in a Scots baronial style, its gabled roofline complete with octagonal turrets with corbelled conical roofs. The tower panel is inscribed "Burnt 1873 Rebuilt 1874 Finished 1878"; it is constructed of local grey granite rubble with contrasting tooled ashlar dressings. Ardverikie House became famous starring as ‘Glenbogle House’ in the BBC drama “Monarch of the Glen”.
Scope of Work
Pictured: Rope access: scaling the tower.
LTM were contracted by Simpson & Brown Architects to undertake conservation and repair work to the external central tower. The works consisted primarily of the careful removal of cement based mortar pointing and replacement with a more appropriate lime mortar.
[ View the full Case Study Slide Show ]
Challenges and Considerations
Pictured: During works: rope system allowing safe and secure access.
The pointing to the central tower was cementitious; it was badly cracked resulting in water ingress into the historic masonry fabric. As a result, the walls had become saturated which in turn lead to internal damp problems and loss of historic plaster finishes: the challenge was to remove the cement based mortars and reinstate a suitable lime mortar.
The structure also posed significant challenges in terms of site access. LTM masons worked closely with Dynamic Abseiling Services to ensure minimal disruption to the historic fabric and permit safe working practices.
[ View the full Case Study Slide Show ]
Solutions to Problems
Pictured: During works: easy access!
The saturated walls required a mortar which would set in damp conditions and allow the walls to dry out. A lime mortar was specified with a relatively low free lime content to ensure that the mortars remained relatively robust as the walls dried out – carbonation cannot occur where the mortars (or masonry) are saturated. Once the cement mortars were carefully removed, the lime pointing was applied nice and flush and roughed up in the LTM way!
The access to the tower was addressed by Dynamic Abseiling Services, who designed and implemented a series of rope rigging systems to ensure safe and effective working ‘platform’. This rope access service proved invaluable in completing the works to the client’s requirements, on time and on budget and to LTM’s standard quality.
[ View the full Case Study Slide Show ]