Royal Bank Of Scotland

The Royal Bank of Scotland is a bank building constructed around 1870, designed by architects Cunliffe and Freeman. It is built of ashlar stone with a rusticated plinth and features a slate roof, showcasing a Neo-Baroque style. The building stands two storeys high with an attic and has a seven-window range arranged in a 2-1-2-2 pattern. The entrance is centrally located in a pedimented bay, flanked by coupled polished granite columns. The first floor has arcaded round-arched windows with polished granite shafts, and a balustrade forms a balconette over a chamfered angle with Market Street.

To the right, there is an advanced two-window range topped by a tower featuring paired round-arched openings. The ground floor of this section has a balustraded parapet and paired round arches for the window and doorway, which are adorned with strapped ball finials. The return to Market Street consists of an eight-window range (3-1-3-1), with acanthus capitals on the left-hand windows and plain capitals on the right, which has a decorated frieze. The entrance is in a single window advanced bay to the right, featuring a Venetian window with polished granite shafts above. There is also a tripartite central window in the right-hand bay and a Diocletian window in the attic storey, which has relief decoration and arms in a balustraded parapet. A Venetian window is located in a stressed single window bay towards the left, balancing the entrance block, both of which have paired pilasters accentuating the angles. The rear elevation includes a full-height window to the banking hall.

The building is topped with an overhanging modillion eaves cornice and a balustraded parapet with pediments and finials over the advanced bays. Inside, the main banking hall is arcaded by giant columns and features enriched plasterwork on the walls and a panelled ceiling, illuminated by stained glass in roof lights.