North Of Scotland Bank, 5 Castle Street, Aberdeen

The North of Scotland Bank, located at 5 Castle Street in Aberdeen, is a former bank building designed by Archibald Simpson between 1839 and 1842. This impressive three-storey structure features a six-bay and two-bay Classical design, highlighted by a grand Corinthian-columned quadrant corner entrance portico. It occupies a significant corner site in the city center. The Castle Street elevation includes a lower bay on the far left with a tall round-arched opening leading to the Logie pend. The exterior is constructed of channelled grey granite ashlar, with coursed tooled granite at the rear. It has a base course, a deep modillioned cornice at the second storey, and a balustraded parapet. The first and second storey windows are set in recesses with aprons featuring carved Cornucopia motifs that separate the storeys.

The slightly recessed quadrant corner entrance portico consists of four double-height Corinthian columns. Between the columns are entrance steps leading to low decorative iron gates. The entrance features a corniced and architraved tall doorpiece with a recessed eight-panel, two-leaf timber entrance door. At the top of the quadrant corner, there is a colored terracotta statue of Ceres by James Giles.

The upper storeys predominantly have 12-pane timber sash and case windows, while the ground floor features plate glass windows with narrow top lights. There are wallhead stacks to the west.

Inside, the ground floor boasts an excellent and opulent decorative scheme. The former banking hall is adorned with fluted Corinthian pilasters, a patterned tesserae floor, and a gilded plaster Parthenon frieze. The ceiling is coffered, and there is decorative plaster cornicing throughout. The interior also includes panelled timber doors and a timber panelled screen with glass and timber panels above. The upper floors have been converted for office use.