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Summary

Description

1793. Symmetrical 3-storey basement and attic, 11-bay classical palace-fronted former pair of houses with flats above. Polished cream sandstone ashlar. Rock-faced basement; V-jointed rustication at ground; cill course at 1st floor and band course above; eaves cornice and blocking course. Central 3 bays slightly advanced at ground (arched doorway at centre with 9-panel door), supporting giant fluted Corinthian pilasters and pediment with oculus; 1st floor windows with blind balustrading to aprons. Flanking bays with 4-panelled doors and rectangular plate glass fanlights; outer bays united as pair of bows. Piend-roofed dormers; tripartite pair to right; dissimilar pair, canted and bipartite, to left.

Timber sash and case 12-pane windows. Ashlar coped skews; rendered stacks (rebuilt stone to S); grey slates.

INTERIOR: united as single office, with alterations to suit; large central corridor opened up at ground and 1st floors. No 39 with dog-leg stair on axis with entrance; alternate decorative cast-iron banisters; tripartite window with fluted pilasters and Gothic glazing; front room with carved timber chimneypiece with Gothic cluster columns, black marbling and marble slips; bow-ended rear room with fluted Ionic columns to chimneypiece. At 1st floor, 3 ceiling roses to stair, and tray rest; front and rear rooms formerly en suite with early 19th century veined black marble chimneypieces and pilastered interconnecting double doors (now shelved as bookcases); plain green marble chimneypiece to small front room. No 43 similar; stair extended to 2nd floor with matching banisters, no bow end at rear (tripartite windows); small single storey and basement extension to rear. At ground, front room with panelled dado, black slate chimneypiece; rear room with painted carved chimneypiece, frieze fluted with urns. At 1st floor, front room with very fine carved white marble chimneypiece; small front room with chimneypiece with fluted pilasters and gesso enrichments. At 2nd floor back to back top lit stairs with quarter landings to attics; that to N with later barley twist banisters; slapping through below upper flight. Principal front room of N flat with stop-fluted Corinthian screen, panelled dado, painted black slate chimneypiece and double doors to rear room with 19th century grey marble chimneypiece; range recess still evident in former kitchen at rear. S flat plainer with panelled dados; carved chimneypiece with gesso enrichments to small front room. Full storey to attics at rear.

Statement of Special Interest

Built by Robert Wright and James McKain, this is the finest surviving unified group in the first New Town, with the exception of Charlotte Square. Robert Adam's South Bridge, University and Charlotte Square designs could all have inspired this block. No39 was the home of Sir Walter Scott from 1802 until 1826. Note the fine Dining Room at the front of the N flat. Part of the original fabric of Edinburgh's New Town, one of the most important and best preserved examples of urban planning in Britain.

References

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