9 Fettes Row, Edinburgh

Thomas Brown, 1821. A 3-storey and basement terraced tenement of 40 bays in polished ashlar sandstone, comprising a pair of 5-bay advanced terminal pavilions flanking a 30-bay linking block. The basement is finished in droved ashlar sandstone. V-jointed rustication marks the principal floors of the terminal pavilions. Band courses run at the principal and 2nd floors, with an additional band course at the 1st floors of the terminal pavilions; a cill course sits at the 1st floor of the linking block. Cornices appear at the 2nd floors of the terminal pavilions, and at the 2nd floor of the linking block and the 3rd floors of the terminal pavilions, with a blocking course adding to the latter. Ashlar steps and entrance platts overshoot the basement.

The principal elevation of the linking block contains 30 bays forming 10 individual 3-storey and basement, 3-bay houses. Six-panel timber doors with pilastered doorpieces feature alternately at the outer right and outer left bays, each accompanied by a variety of rectangular fanlights. Windows occupy the remaining bays at principal floor, architraved with panelled aprons except at Nos 10 and 11. Regular fenestration continues to the floors above. The basement presents a flagged area.

The principal elevation of the terminal pavilions shows a pair of 4-storey and basement, 5-bay pavilions. At the principal floor, round-arched doorpieces centred in each pavilion contain 6-panel timber common stair doors with radial semicircular fanlights; the fanlight at No 12 is blind. Windows sit in round-arched recesses in the remaining bays at principal floor, with regular fenestration above. Projecting cills appear at the principal floor of the eastern terminal pavilion and at the principal and 1st floors of the western terminal pavilion. A corniced blank frieze marks the impost level at principal floor. Roman Doric pilasters flank bays at the 1st and 2nd floors; panelled pilasters flank bays at the 3rd floors. A central wallhead panel crowns No 12. The basement area is flagged.

The western elevation rises 4 storeys and basement across 5 bays, continuing as Nos 99–103 Dundas Street. The principal floor is pilastered and corniced, with a 2-bay shop front centred featuring a glazed door and plate glass rectangular fanlight and windows; a 3-bay shop front to the left has a 6-panel, 2-leaf timber door and plate glass windows; a 2-bay shop front to the right contains a part-glazed door, blind rectangular fanlight, and plate glass window. Regular fenestration rises above, with blind windows occupying 2 bays to the left at the 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors. The basement area is flagged.

Throughout the principal frontage, windows are predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case. Iron balconies span the 1st floor bays across all houses in the linking block. Decorative iron window guards appear in bays at the 3rd floor of the eastern terminal pavilion. A grey slate M-roof is supported on cast-iron rainwater goods. Ridge stacks are either polished ashlar, rendered, or broached ashlar, all coped with circular cans.

The interiors have not been inspected in detail, though evidence of working panelled shutters has been noted.

Ashlar copes surmount the railings, which feature iron work with fleur-de-lis balusters and pineapple finials. Cast-iron railing-mounted lamps with glass globes provide illumination.

A mews building occupies 13 North East Cumberland Street Lane to the rear. Dating to the earlier 19th century with later alterations, it is a single-storey and attic, 3-bay former coach house with a later single-storey addition, built in coursed rubble. The principal elevation features a vertically-boarded timber door centred at ground, flanked to the right by 2-leaf vertically-boarded timber garage doors with timber lintels, and a 4-pane window to the left. A loading door sits centred at attic within a gabled vertically-boarded timber dormerhead with barge boards and finial breaking the eaves. A single-storey addition extends east with slapping at centre and a brick gable end. The roof is grey slate; gablehead stacks are coped rubble, and skews are coped. A random rubble wall adjoins the principal elevation to the west, coped with polished ashlar dressings and containing a modern timber door within a pedestrian gate.