Portobello Congregational Church, 15 Marlborough Street, Edinburgh

This is a single-storey church originally built in 1835, with substantial alterations carried out around 1870 and again around 1885. The church is rectangular in plan, with a semicircular rear elevation. It is constructed of stugged sandstone with polished dressings, with rubble blank side and rear elevations (having droved ashlar dressings), and a brick hall extension to the rear.

The south-east elevation, which is the principal facade, features four bays. A projecting rectangular porch extends to the outer bays, with a double board door set within, featuring wrought-iron ornamental hinges. A semicircular plate glass fanlight is above the door, with a column-moulded, stop-chamfered arrises below the entablature, and a semicircular moulded arch above the fanlight. A coped gable end spans the upper part, topped with a cross finial. Round, border-glazed windows flank the porch, and there are windows in each bay of the main elevation. A simple pediment arrangement sits above the windows, and a round, louvered opening is centrally located within a round-arched colonnade supported by four short columns with stylised scalloped capitals, culminating in a cross finial.

The north-west, or rear, elevation curves from the side elevations, and incorporates windows at each extreme. A presbytery extension is also present, along with a rectangular hall extension, separated from the main body of the church and featuring its own porch.

Tall, round-arched metal windows with border glazing are characteristic throughout. The principal elevation features coloured glass borders and a fine metal lattice within the outer glazing. The rear elevation also has border glazing. The roof is grey slate, bowed to the rear, with a piended grey slate roof to the hall.

The interior is arranged with two aisles and features wooden pews, each with bracketed brass umbrella stands. A horizontal board reredos is present. Two square skylights are recessed into the ceiling, and a cornice runs along the north-west end, originating from pilasters which extend the length of the side elevations. A raised platform occupies the north-west end, with a later timber-panelled recess, steps leading to the pulpit, and a panelled door located centrally. Three Gladstone-type chairs are positioned at platform level, along with a Gothic-styled oak carved altar table with an inscribed plaque dating from September 1899. Organ pipes are located to the right of the pulpit and altar, with an inscribed plaque dating from 1925. The organ keyboard is housed in a sunken area in front of the altar. A simple oak lectern is also present. A war memorial of carved wood with some gilding is located at the south-east end, commemorating the First World War and the men who served from the congregation. The memorial is Romanesque in style, featuring a four-columned round-arched colonnade with carved names set between columns, and praying angels at the tops of the flanking uprights.