Imperial Hotel, Stirling Street, Aberdeen

James Souttar 1869, with additions William Henderson, 1885. Large, 3-storey and attic, well-detailed, Gothic style hotel on gushet site with central internal well and good interior details. Tooled, coursed granite with contrasting ashlar dressings. Band courses. Predominantly pointed arch windows to upper storeys; other segmental-arched windows. Partly crenellated with crenellated round turret to SW, round turret to N at apex of triangle. Pedimented and semicircular gabled wallhead dormers.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: Asymmetrical elevations. 12-bay entrance elevation to W with slightly advanced bay to left with timber panelled entrance door with bracketed balcony above with pair of sculptured figures. Bipartite and tripartite windows above with slender columned mullions and fleur-de-lys decorative feature. Tripartite oriel window to right.

To S: gabled 7-bay elevation small hood moulded round-arched windows in apexes and broad, coped stacks above with vertical indentations. Balcony to 1st storey at Trinity Street (S).

INTERIOR: good decorative interior with some fine original features. Dog-leg stair with moulded timber balustrade. Double-arched entrance to public room with polished granite column. 4-panelled timber doors. Fine decorative plaster ceiling and cornice to public room. Some good quality painted glass depicting Scottish and British heraldic symbols (see Notes). Small stained glass roundel of St Andrew.

Predominantly plate glass timber sash and case windows. Grey slate. Ridge and gable stacks.