Warehouses, 92-96 Commercial Street, Edinburgh

John Rennie and John Patterson, 1800-1806; centre stack completed for Carron Company by Thomas Brown, 1820; 7 W bays (Bond 42) with later stone attic; sundry subsequent additions and alterations; facade to Dock Place (and presumably alterations to 3 E bays) by Archibald Thomson, 1882.

Unusually long, 35-bay 4-storey and attic warehouse; offices at far E end. Squared and coursed rubble, ashlar dressings and band courses between floors; irregular ashlar facing to N at ground; segmental-arched openings, mostly iron-barred, some blocked, some with louvred timber doors. Brick groin-vaulted basement to Bond 42, and to ground floor of rest of block. Low parapets conceal roofs; later stone attic storey to Bond 42. N elevation to docks similarly detailed.

13-15 DOCK PLACE ELEVATIONS: symmetrical 3-storey and attic 5-bay rendered gable end, framed by rusticated pilasters on panelled pedestals; heavily panelled 2-leaf door with rectangular fanlight at centre at ground; moulded architraves to ground and 1st floors; lintel course at ground, cill course to 2nd floor, band course at cornice level. Attic windows in raised wallhead, stepping up at centre to incorporate 3 blind panels; centre window blind; oval plaques flank outer bays with initials WR and BT; moulded cornice. 3 flag poles at centre of attic.

3-storey 3-bay stone-cleaned returns; ground and 1st floor created out of 1st 3 storeys of warehouse; string courses and top floor fenestration retained. Architraves to lower floors, bipartite window to ground to W. Pairs of modern gableheaded dormers. To N pair of panelled doors at centre and extra fenestration. Timber sash and case windows.

WAREHOUSES: 32 bays arranged from E in block of 7, 5, 7, 6 and 7 bays, with wallheads between; gabled dormer openings and crane hoists to each block. E block converted to offices at ground. 2nd block built for the Carron Company, with closer spaced bays and pedimented hoists; tripartite doorway survives to Commercial Street; painted legend CARRON COMPANY LTD WAREHOUSE still discernible to docks. Centre block with 2 piend-roofed dormers. W block with raised attic and applied iron lettering: MACDONALD & MUIR BONDED STORES and, in italics, 'HIGHLAND QUEEN'.

5-bay W (end) elevation with 3 windows to attic.

Ashlar coped skews. Grey slates.

INTERIORS: brick groin-vaults at ground supported on stone piers; flanked by access barrel-vaults. Combination of timber post and beam ashlar and cast-iron supports for upper floors. Bond 42 and Carron Warehouse with some ashlar piers and saddles rising full height of building; Carron warehouse with cast-iron Doric columns.

GATEPIERS: giant chamfered square ashlar piers at E approach, flanking entrance to Dock Place, with cornice and ball finials. Paired with those at former lock to N.