1, 3 Cumberland Street, Edinburgh

1, 3 Cumberland Street is a substantial 4-storey and basement tenement with a wallhead attic, built between 1801 and 1804 by Robert Reid and William Sibbald. It forms part of a terrace on Cumberland Street in Edinburgh. The building is constructed of broached ashlar sandstone, with V-jointed rustication at the principal floor level and polished ashlar at basement level. A prominent base course, along with band courses between the basement and principal floor, and between the principal floor and first floor, highlight the façade. Projecting cills are present at the first and second floor windows, a cornice sits at the second floor level and a cornice with a blocking course is found at the third floor. Ashlar steps and oversailing entrance platts define the basement level.

The east (principal) elevation features a 9-panel timber common stair door with a radial, rectangular fanlight centred at the principal floor. A round-arched doorpiece is inset into the third bay from the left, housing a six-panel timber door with a radial, semicircular fanlight. Otherwise, the fenestration is regular across all floors, with a corniced shop front incorporated at basement level, featuring glazed timber doors and plate glass windows.

The north (Cumberland Street) elevation is three bays wide and shows a coursed rubble gable. This incorporates a five-bay public house, "The Cumberland Bar," on the right with a glazed door and multi-pane windows, and a continuation of the principal elevation's basement shop front on the left, including plate glass windows and an infilled window. The floors above display regular fenestration; bipartite windows are centered at principal and first floor levels while blind windows flank the elevation at all other floors.

The west (rear) elevation is constructed of coursed rubble and has regular fenestration across all floors. The south elevation adjoins a neighbouring terrace and is covered by a separate listed building description (16-20 Drummond Place).

The building retains predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows. The roof is covered in grey slate, with cast-iron rainwater goods. Rubble ridge stacks with broached quoins are present, along with a coursed rubble gablehead stack also with broached quoins, topped with coped details and circular cans.

The interiors were not accessible during a 1997 inspection, but evidence suggests the presence of working panelled shutters. The Cumberland Bar was refitted around 1990 and has received a CAMRA interior award.

Ashlar copes support cast-iron railings with spear-headed balusters and decorative finials resembling quasi-Maltese crosses and pineapples. A cast-iron railing-mounted lamp with a glass globe completes the exterior details.