Dunoon Pier

I had to go over to Gourock this morning for a meeting , taking the Argyll Ferries service there and back.

Walking along the sea front on my return the oustanding architectural, historic and aesthetic nature of the old Dunoon pier was very obvious.

It has featured in my blips before, but its colouring and shape today, set against a grey sea and sky, made it stand out. It is worthy of its recent upgrading from a "B" to "A" listing by Historic Scotland, whose scehdule states:

Map Ref: NS 1759 7648

Clarke and Bell with Sir William Copland in collaboration with R A Brydon and C J M Mackintosh, 1896-98; incorporating earlier pier to N by Campbell Douglas, 1867-68; later 20th century alterations . Rare and exceptional 19th century timber-pile ferry/steamer pier. Large, T-plan pedestrian pier adjoining earlier pier to N (currently used for vehicles - 2011). To pier-head: ornamental Victorian waiting room and pier master's office to centre; rare signal tower incorporating later tearoom to S arm of pier-head. Entrance ticket lodge located at slightly wider foot of pedestrian section.

WAITING ROOMS AND PIER MASTER'S OFFICE: single-storey, rectangular-plan, gable-ended, timber pavilion waiting-rooms including harbour master's office. Round-arched windows to ground floor. S Elevation: 2-storey octagonal tower to centre with crowning, ogee-roofed clock cupola and weather vane; flat-roofed verandas flanking with elaborate timber doorpieces to waiting rooms. N Elevation: 3 half-timbered gables with canted window bays and timber details including timber shingles to exterior walls. Red pantiled roofs with cupola ventilators.

SIGNAL TOWER AND ADJOINING TEAROOM: ornate 4-stage, square-plan, timber signal tower (circa 1896-8); pantiled skirt and ogee-roof to 3rd stage; pierced, ogee-roofed cupola and ornamental cast-iron weathervane finial.
Tower adjoins SE corner of single-storey, flat-roofed former waiting room and tearoom building (built 1937).

TICKET LODGE: Single-storey, cruciform-plan ticket lodge (circa 1896-8 with late 20th century alterations ) at foot of pier. Bowed to E and W elevations with conical, pantiled roof.

PIER AND RAILINGS: greenheart timber piles braced in pairs and further cross-braced by diagonal timbers. Outward facing piers are battered. Rod-iron connections with external bolts. Timber decking, rails and balustrade.

The pier is apparently the best surviving example of this type of structure in Scotland and it must become an integral part of the development of the Dunoon waterfront which is presently mooted.

It would be too easy for it to fall into further disrepair or be terminally damaged in one of the winter gales that can be very severe in this spot, given it is exposed to prevailing south westerly winds and their resulting tidal surges.