1-32 Shaw Crescent (Former Elmhill House of Royal Cornhill Hospital), Aberdeen

This is a three-storey and basement, 13-bay, E-plan former mental hospital, originally known as Elmhill House and part of the Royal Cornhill Hospital, designed by William Ramage and built in 1862. The building is constructed of finely finished, tooled coursed granite with long and short ashlar quoins, a base course, recessed ground floor cills, projecting cills to the upper floors, an eaves course, and overhanging eaves.

The southeast (principal) elevation is nearly symmetrical. A three-bay gabled entrance block projects forward, featuring a quadripartite square-plan, flat-roofed porch with stone steps leading to a central panelled timber door and letterbox fanlight, flanked by single windows. There is regular fenestration to the first and second floors. The basement has regular fenestration and the flanking bays to the left and right have regular fenestration to the ground, first, and second floors. Recessed behind the penultimate bays to the left and right are four-storey, square-plan Italianate towers with round-arched windows on each elevation including impost and keystone detailing, and a weathervane at the apex. The outer left and right bays are stepped forward, incorporating a three-windowed bow across the ground and first floors; the bay to the left has a two-windowed attic floor, while the bay to the right's upper floor has been removed, with blind windows to the returns.

The northeast elevation is asymmetrical and eight bays wide, with regular fenestration to the three bays on the left and a timber door with a letterbox fanlight, flanked by canted windows, at ground floor level. The first floor has regular fenestration, while the second floor only retains the cills and has a flat roof. A coped granite wall adjoins the elevation to the outer left, supporting a lean-to timber ancillary structure with a doorway to the rear of the building.

The northwest elevation is nearly symmetrical, with thirteen bays. A four-bay block projects forward at the centre, flanked by three-bay blocks to the left and right. Flat-roofed blocks are advanced to the flanking bays, with a tower behind, and windows to the inside returns. A single bay block to the outer right has a metal fire escape, while the block to the outer left is blank, with the second floor removed.

The southwest elevation is nearly symmetrical, with ten bays, and features a doorway near the centre of the ground floor, flanked to the left and right by two-bay canted windows. The remainder of the elevation has regular fenestration. A semi-circular coped granite wall projects to the outer left, with a lean-to shelter on the right return.

The building predominantly features timber sash and case windows with twelve panes and nine panes. The roof is covered in grey slate with a lead ridge, and has coped granite ridge and wallhead stacks with octagonal cans. Cast iron rainwater goods are also present. The interior retains much of its original cornicing, panelling, doors, and skirting boards.