Prestonfield House, 71 Priestfield Road, Edinburgh

Prestonfield House, 71 Priestfield Road, Edinburgh

Possibly designed by Sir William Bruce and built in 1687, with later additions. A 2 and 3-storey mansion with basement, near symmetrical in plan and Dutch-classical in style. The building is constructed of harled rubble with sandstone ashlar dressings, featuring curvilinear gables, buckle quoins, and lugged architraves.

The west (entrance) elevation comprises 5 bays with a central balustraded porte cochere of early 19th-century date, supported by paired Roman Doric columns. Behind this stands a round-arched pilastered doorway leading to an enclosed porch, with a 2-leaf panelled door and umbrella fanlight. A single window lights the 1st floor above, and another window sits behind a balustraded parapet at eaves level. The outer left and right bays are gabled with regular fenestration across all 3 floors; small blind windows serve the basement. A balustraded parapet extends to the basement areas.

The east elevation displays 3 gabled bays. An 1830 extension occupies the ground floor. The central gable is concave with flanking curvilinear gables; a single central window on the 1st floor is set within a round-arched panel bearing a date inscription and a horse-shoe finial above. Single windows light the outer left and right bays.

The south elevation is of 3 bays with an eaves course and cornice. Single windows serve all bays; a lengthened window to the 1st floor outer right bay has been converted to access the gardens from the hotel kitchens. Decorative broken pediments crown the 2nd floor windows, and 4 small gabled dormers rise between the bays.

The north elevation mirrors the south in its 3-bay arrangement, with original eaves course, cornice and fenestration to the outer bays, and 2 small gabled dormers above. A full-height extension of 1890, designed by MacGibbon and Ross, occupies the central bay. It features a curvilinear gable with pediment re-used from the original central 2nd floor window, bipartite windows to all 3 floors, a single window set in the gablehead, and dividing band courses.

The south addition, dating to circa 1830, is T-plan and 2-storey in height, with dividing band course, eaves course and cornice. Three-bay wings adjoin the house, bowed to north and south; a further 3 bays face west with vehicular access at ground level and single windows above. Single-storey bowed blocks at the re-entrant angles form balconies serving 1st floor windows above.

Windows throughout are predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case. The roof is of grey slate with corniced gable heads and ridge stacks featuring moulded cans.

The interior retains many original fine features. The ground floor entrance is accessed via a vestibule with 6 steps to an early 19th-century segmental-arched doorway opening to the stair hall. Original Dutch black and white marble floors survive. The original grand stair was removed in the early 19th century; the west stair landing was converted to a balcony, retaining original balusters, with access to the 1st floor via a secondary north stair.

To the left of the entrance hall lies the Old Bar, containing a stone fireplace, panelled shutters and plain cornice. To the right stands the Italian Room, featuring original timber panelling with classical landscapes attributed to James and Robert Nories. A fireplace with corniced fire surround is flanked by full-height fluted Ionic pilasters; a pulvinated frieze and cornice ornament the doorpiece, and shutters and heavy cornice complete the scheme.

To the south, the circa 1830 extension contains 2 dining rooms flanking an oval-domed vestibule. Both rooms have bowed ends and coombed ceilings with curved mahogany doors painted white and gilded. Pilasters and palmette friezes ornament the doorpieces, and intricate cornices throughout. A circa 1800 pine and gesso fireplace in the room to the left of the vestibule features Corinthian pilasters and a marine frieze; the fireplace in the room to the right (originally a drawing room) is of simply carved white marble.

The 1st floor features 3 doorways to the west landing. The central doorway, heavily carved with consoles and pediment, leads to the Tapestry Room (the original drawing room), which displays exuberant decoration throughout. A lugged sandstone fireplace is topped by a painted timber chimneypiece adorned with carved putti, decorative foliage and fruit, flower vases, adult male heads, and the Dick family coat of arms. Above the fireplace, a landscape painting is framed by a pulvinated frieze and floral swags with putti bearing a crown. White painted and gilded panelling sets original Mortlake tapestries depicting Oriental scenes on the east and west walls. Lugged architraves frame panelled doors, and a low, heavily modelled Italian compartmental ceiling incorporates extravagant flowers and foliage, merpeople, gargoyles and heraldic animals.

To the north lies the Leather Room (original bedchamber), also known as the Spanish Room for its decorative leatherwork from Cordova set into the panelling. This was designed for the Dick family's earlier Lawnmarket house and features fruit, flowers, cupids and animals worked in high relief against a red background. The fireplace displays roses carved in consoled lugs.

The gatepiers and boundary walls comprise 2 pairs of gatepiers to the Priestfield Road entrance: the outer pair are banded, the inner pair panelled, both crowned with ball finials. A high rubble wall surrounds the estate and golf course.

A mid 18th-century cubic sundial stands supported by a plain column and flat carved pedestal, with carved circular dials on all 5 exposed faces and a gnomon remaining to 1 face.

Garden furniture transferred in 1746 from Sir Alexander Dick's Dutch Garden (which occupied the site of the stables) to the south terrace garden includes 3 carved stone seats, 2 dated 1687 but possibly 17th-century fragments mounted on 19th-century bases, a Bacchus fountain, and a sphinx on plinth. An 18th-century sundial is listed separately.

A sandstone memorial dated 1840 stands in a field adjoining the gardens. A pedestal with inscription panel commemorates the 2nd son and daughter of Sir Robert and Harriet Dick Cunyngham, who died abroad, and is topped by an obelisk with a carved butterfly above.