Basic Biographical Details

Name: Robert Carruthers-Ballantyne (or Robert Ballantyne Carruthers; or Roy Carruthers Ballantyne)
Designation:  
Born: 14 September 1891
Died: 9 March 1981
Bio Notes: Robert (Roy) Carruthers-Ballantyne was born on 14 September 1891, the son of William Laidlaw Carruthers and his wife Katherine Turner. he assumed the additional surname of Ballantyne c.1920 (which was hyphenated) when he inherited the estate of Holylee in Peeblesshire from William Laidlaw Ballantyne (presumably an uncle), who was factor at Abbotsford. While at school he had to have a foot amputated as a result of osteomyelitis following a kick in a rugby game. He refused to wear an artificial foot and had a peg leg throughout adult life. He trained at the Architectural Association and with Sir Guy Dawber, and spent part of 1914 acting as Clerk of Works for James Ransome. Later the same year, at the early age of 23, he inherited his father's practice in Inverness in partnership with Samuel Grant Alexander.

Ballantyne was on war service from 1916 to 1919, and was employed as a draughtsman by W C Lucas in 1920, resuming independent practice in 1921. He was joined in partnership by his father's former apprentice and assistant William John Taylor in July that year, and later by ____ Cox. Meanwhile Alexander appears to have continued the practice of Carruthers & Alexander alone.

In the 1930s the practice of Carruthers Ballantyne, Cox & Taylor built some of the best early modern houses in Scotland. No information is yet available on Cox and little is known of Taylor, the key figures in the office being Donald Fowler and William Allen. Ballantyne himself is said to have been ill-at-ease building these modern houses, probably for technical as much as aesthetic reasons, although he did design at least one himself.

The partnership had split by 1936, Taylor continuing in the existing offices at 28 Queens Gate as W J Taylor & Co until at least 1940, and Ballantyne & Cox practising separately elsewhere in Inverness. By 1940 Cox had also left Ballantyne, who had apparently changed the order of his original and adopted surnames to become Robert Ballantyne Carruthers and continued to practise from offices in the British Linen Bank Buildings, High Street.

Carruthers-Ballantyne died on 9 March 1981 at Hillside Hospital, Perth. His wife Isabella Catherine Stewart had predeceased him but he was survived by his son, J C Ballantyne of Inchoonans, Errol.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 528, Queen's Gate, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1928c. 1936 
Item 2 of 5Ardarroch, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandPrivateBefore 1930After 1934 
Item 3 of 511, Queen's Gate, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandBusiness1934 *  
Item 4 of 541A, High Street, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandBusinessc. 1939  
Item 5 of 5British Linen Bank Buildings, High Street, Inverness, Inverness-shire, ScotlandBusinessBefore 1940After 1950(?) 

* earliest date known from documented sources.

Employment and Training

Employers

The following individuals or organisations employed or trained this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 7(Sir) Edward Guy Dawber19121914Apprentice 
Item 2 of 7James Ransome19141914Clerk 
Item 3 of 7Carruthers & Alexander1914(?)1916(?)Partner 
Item 4 of 7W C Lucas19201920Draughtsman 
Item 5 of 7Carruthers Ballantyne & Taylor (or Ballantyne & Taylor)July 1921c. 1933Partner 
Item 6 of 7Carruthers Ballantyne, Cox & Taylorc. 1934(?)c. 1936Partner 
Item 7 of 7Carruthers Ballantyne & Coxc. 1936Before 1940Partner 

Employees or Pupils

The following individuals were employed or trained by this (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate fromDate toPositionNotes
Item 1 of 1Donald Alexander Fowler1921July 1921Apprentice 

RIBA

RIBA Proposers

The following individuals proposed this for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 6(Sir) Edward Guy Dawber15 October 1930for Licentiateship
Item 2 of 6Alexander Finlay Mackenzie5 March 1934for Fellowship
Item 3 of 6James Ransome15 October 1930for Licentiateship
Item 4 of 6Herbert Read15 October 1930for Licentiateship
Item 5 of 6John Alistair Ross5 March 1934for Fellowship
Item 6 of 6William John Taylor5 March 1934for Fellowship

RIBA Proposals

This proposed the following individuals for RIBA membership (click on an item to view details):
 NameDate proposedNotes
Item 1 of 10William Watt Allan10 February 1948For Licentiateship
Item 2 of 10John Stone Craig11 November 1947For Licentiateship
Item 3 of 10Kenneth John Finlayson10 January 1956For Licentiateship
Item 4 of 10William Macdonald2 December 1935for Licentiateship
Item 5 of 10Robert Neish6 May 1947For Associateship
Item 6 of 10John Baillie Noble20 July 1936for Associateship
Item 7 of 10Hamish Noble Paterson10 February 1948For Licentiateship
Item 8 of 10George Clark RobbEarly 1956For Fellowship
Item 9 of 10Neil Ross3 May 1949For Licentiateship
Item 10 of 10David Gordon Wilson16 July 1940for Associateship

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 341914Badan RohiCarrbridge Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 2 of 341914Killilan Lodge  Ross and CromartyScotland 
Item 3 of 341920House for Miss H M GurneyCarrbridge Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 4 of 341920Moness HouseAberfeldy PerthshireScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 5 of 341922Cantray LodgeGollanfield Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 6 of 341922Holylee HouseWalkerburn PeeblesshireScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 7 of 341922St Michael's ChurchInverness Inverness-shireScotlandAlterations and renovation
Item 8 of 341923Corrie LodgeBroadfordSkyeInverness-shireScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 9 of 341923Edward Housing SchemeForres MorayshireScotland 
Item 10 of 341923West Parish ChurchInverness Inverness-shireScotlandAlterations and renovation
Item 11 of 341924Forestry Commission HoldingsFort Augustus (area) Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 12 of 341924Glencarron Lodge  Ross and CromartyScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 13 of 341924Killilan Lodge  Ross and CromartyScotlandAdditions and alterations
Item 14 of 341925Caledonian BankInverness Inverness-shireScotlandInterior reconstruction
Item 15 of 341926Bank of ScotlandWick CaithnessScotland 
Item 16 of 341926Inverness Housing Scheme, 5th developmentInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 17 of 34Before 1926Cantray House(II)Croy Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 18 of 34Before 1926Kinless House  Inverness-shire Scotland 
Item 19 of 341927Picture HouseForres MorayshireScotland 
Item 20 of 341928Inverinate HouseKintail Ross & CromartyScotland 
Item 21 of 34Before 1930Playhouse CinemaInverness Inverness-shireScotlandPossibly in partnership with Taylor and/or Cox
Item 22 of 341932 or 1933House for H H WardInverness? Inverness-shire?Scotland 
Item 23 of 341932 or 1933House for J M MackintoshCulcabock Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 24 of 341932 or 1933House for Miss E M StevensonCulcabock Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 25 of 341933Public HallBroadfordSkyeInverness-shireScotland 
Item 26 of 341934Royal Marine HotelNairn NairnshireScotlandAddition
Item 27 of 341935135 Culduthel RoadInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 28 of 341935BalnabruachInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 29 of 341935LamburnInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 30 of 341936Duirinish LodgeKyle of Lochalsh Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 31 of 341936Inverugie HouseHopeman MorayshireScotlandInterior alterations
Item 32 of 341936Over and AboveInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 33 of 34193741 Old Edinburgh RoadInverness Inverness-shireScotland 
Item 34 of 341946House at CradlehallCradlehall Inverness-shireScotland 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 3McKean, Charles1987The Scottish Thirties: An Architectural Introduction Edinburgh: Scottish Academic Pressp193
Item 2 of 3RIBA1930The RIBA Kalendar 1930-1931 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 
Item 3 of 3RIBA1939The RIBA Kalendar 1939-1940 London: Royal Institute of British Architects 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 2Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Letter from Malcom McEwan to Charles McKean, 29 June 1987
Item 2 of 2RIBA Archive, Victoria & Albert MuseumRIBA Nomination Papers L no3422 (box 11); F no3194 (box 18)