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Summary

Description

1789; alterations circa 1910. 2 terraced classical houses, thoroughly linked internally; both originally 3-storey basement and attic, 3-bay. Craigleith droved sandstone ashlar. Regular fenestration.

NO 26: very plain, polished margin drafts. Base course; 2nd floor windows later extended through eaves with pedimented dormerheads; further skylight. Former corniced architraved doorpiece to left; blocked as window, steps removed. Flush-panelled basement door with 3-pane fanlight.

2-bay rubble rear elevation with 4-storey bow to W, closet tower at centre, and timber projection at ground to E.

Timber sash and case 12-pane timber windows (15-pane to 2nd floor). Dressed ashlar mutual stacks; ashlar coped mutual skews; grey slates.

INTERIOR: at front ground full-width L-plan library connecting with, and accessed via archway to No 27; fully incorporates bow-ended room at rear right (currently with temporary partition) with black slate chimneypiece, dog grate and delft tiles. Curving cantilevered stair survives at centre with plain square iron banisters and mahogany handrail. At 1st floor, Committee Room at front with acanthus and dentilled cornice, corniced overdoors with clasping pilaster surrounds, early 19th century white marble chimneypiece with brass register grate; door to Council Room in No 27; bow-ended room to rear right with Doric screen and consoled white marble chimneypiece; closet; remaining room divided, moulded chimneypiece with fluted frieze and dentilled cornice; upper flight of stair removed. 2nd floor now large office, accessed from No 27, incorporating attic space; upper portions of rear attic room survive in roofspace above.

Basement is caretaker's flat, but retains some original features and wine bins.

NO 27: polished ashlar dressings; long and short rusticated quoins; channelled rustication at ground; 1st floor cill course; obtrusive full-width slate-hung box dormer with central bipartite window. Steps to tripartite pilastered doorpiece, frieze fluted with rosettes, dentilled cornice; rectangular timber batwing fanlight; 2-leaf panelled doors with panelled and glazed oak inner door. Flagpole above door. Panelled basement door with 3-pane fanlight.

Rubble rear elevation with 2-bay projecting bow to W with windows blocked to form later stair. Access to rear block at ground (see below).

Timber sash and case 12-pane timber windows. Dressed ashlar mutual stacks; ashlar coped mutual skews; grey slates.

INTERIOR: modern glazed inner door; panelled hall (terrazzo floor survives under carpet) with enlarged curving cantilevered stair on axis in extended bow to rear; naturalistic wrought-iron banister; access under stair to Stewart House; Library occupies remainder of ground floor; 2-leaf door, lugged architrave with bolection frieze and egg and dart cornice; panelled dado; formerly tiered timber chimneypiece at front (now removed but appears in photographs). 1st floor wholly occupied by Council Room, entered by similar 2-leaf door; beam divides ceiling laterally, each section with identical neo-Classical plaster ceiling, concave diamond in oval (rear perhaps copy of original at front); room extends into tripartite window bay at rear; panelled dado; plaster panels to walls; pair of very fine carved timber chimneypieces with gesso enrichments, fluted pilasters and friezes, dentilled cornices, swagged urns on tablets; coloured veined marble slips and brass register grates; door to Committee Room in No 26; new purpose made carpet and fine set of institutional furniture (not indigenous). Glazed landing at 2nd floor; many alterations, including link to No 26. Straight stair to attic; upper section of original stairwell and cupola with swagged husks and dentilled cornice now blocked off in cupboard.

RAILINGS AND LAMP STANDARDS: cast-iron fleurs-de-lys to No 26, plain to No 27; No 27 with wrought-iron lamp standards flanking platt.

STEWART HOUSE: former bindery to rear with cast-iron columns inside; now converted to training use.

Statement of Special Interest

These houses were built by the masons Robert Wright, James Tait and Andrew Neal for John Hunter of Bonnytoun WS (No 26) and Francis Scott, brother of Scott of Harden (No 27). A significant surviving part of the original fabric of Edinburgh?s New Town, one of the most important and best preserved examples of urban planning in Britain; Queen Street was built to take advantage of the northern views, and has survived remarkably unaltered to this day. No 27 was acquired by the Society of Accountants in Edinburgh on the 15th May 1891, and No 26 subsequently acquired on the 28th May 1908 (Nos 28 and 29 followed later, see separate listing). Alterations must date, respectively, from these times. The Society became the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland in 1951.

References

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