Milton House School, 86 Canongate, Edinburgh

Milton House School, located at 86 Canongate in Edinburgh, was designed by Robert Wilson and completed in 1886. This impressive former Board School is a two-storey building with a basement, featuring 11 bays arranged symmetrically and showcasing Scots-Baronial architectural details. Notable elements include prominent crowstepped gables and a tall bellcote at the center. The building is constructed from squared and snecked ashlar, accented with polished red sandstone dressings. It has a base course, cill courses, and a moulded string course that extends to the side elevations and rear.

The central section projects forward and has a panel inscribed 'MILTON HOUSE PUBLIC SCHOOL' between the string and cill course. Stone-mullioned windows are present on each floor, with transoms at the first floor. Above these windows, there is an elaborate pedimented head featuring the date and a roundel depicting St Margaret of Scotland, with the bellcote positioned at the apex. The flanking bays have crowstepped gablets that break the eaves, while the slightly lower recessed outer bays on the east and west elevations feature segmental-arched doors. The tall ranges extend southward, with the basement accommodating the slope.

On the rear elevation, there is a prominent tall three-bay gable at the center, which has hoodmoulding over the second-floor windows and three small attic windows above, flanked by pedimented dormers.

Inside, the central stair hall is adorned with four large landscape panels by William Delacour, dating from 1758, which are remnants of John Adam's Milton House built in 1755.

Additionally, there is a janitor's house to the southeast, also designed by Wilson. This two-storey building with a basement features a roughly square plan and crow-stepped design, constructed from contrasting red and grey ashlar. The south elevation includes a shallow oriel in an advanced bay to the left.

The property is enclosed by stepped low boundary walls made of squared and snecked rubble, with a substantial retaining wall on the sloping ground to the south and cast-iron railings.

The windows predominantly feature multi-pane glazing in timber sash and case style. The roof is covered with graded grey slate, and there are tall, corbelled, and shouldered end stacks, along with clay cans and tall, octagonal-capped axial ventilators. The building is equipped with cast-iron rainwater goods.