20-21 Buccleuch Place, Edinburgh

17, 18, and 19 Buccleuch Place in Edinburgh is a terraced row of tenements built around the 1780s, now used as offices. This four-storey building, with a dormered attic and basement, has a rectangular plan and is constructed from ashlar sandstone, featuring long and short quoins at the corners. The ground floor and basement of Nos. 23, 24, and 25 have a channelled ashlar finish, while the rear and side elevations are made of rubble sandstone.

The bays beside the doorway of No. 18 are adorned with Venetian windows on each floor, showcasing Y-tracery glazing. No. 18 has a pair of entrances set within a segmental arched recess, with the left-hand doorway being blind. The entrances of Nos. 20 and 21 are framed by Roman Doric columned doorpieces that are connected by a continuous entablature. The doorpieces for Nos. 17 and 19 feature a cornice supported by Roman Doric columns. The row includes a variety of round-arched and flat-arched entrances, many with fanlights. The third-floor windows of No. 19 have decorative cast iron window boxes, which are also present on the rear elevation. The rear features evenly spaced two-bay gables with stacks breaking the wallhead, and the end bays are full height with two-window bowed designs.

The windows primarily consist of 12-pane glazing set in sash and case timber frames. The roofs are covered with grey slates, and there are wide, corniced ridge stacks with cylindrical cans. The entrances have platts that oversail the basement and are bordered by low coped walls with cast iron railings.

The interior, partially observed in 2015 and 2016, includes flats arranged around a stone staircase with a plain balustrade, illuminated by a square cupola, along with main door ground and basement flats. The Venetian windows feature moulded timber surrounds, with the central round-arched window flanked by fluted Doric pilasters. Some principal rooms and entrance halls display decorative cornices and timber panelling up to the dado level. There are flat-arched buffet niches with fluted Corinthian pilasters and a decorative frieze. Most windows have shutters, and many doors are panelled.