Callender House And Whitefoord House, Canongate, Edinburgh

Whitefoord House by Robert Mylne, 1769-1770. Callander House circa 1770. Irregular-plan ajoined complex set back from the Canongate, comprising Whiteford House at centre, Callander House to left with later single storey hall (1927), and to right, the later Kenneth Hill House (1981). Pair of 2-storey lodges flanking arched gateway to NW and 3, 4-storey tenements fronting Canongate. Predominantly harled rubble with painted dressings.

FURTHER DESCRIPTION: WHITEFOORD HOUSE: symmetrical, Classical 3-storey with basement, 5-bay, rectangular-plan house with Roman Doric pedimented porch to front. Raised (cement) quoins. 2-leaf timber panelled door, architraved surround with consoled and dentiled cornice. 4-bay to rear with remnants of corniced, consoled surround. Fine cast-iron and wrought-iron internal stair. CALLANDER HOUSE: 3-storey with basement and attic, originally rectangular-plan. Raised quoins. Regular fenestration; gabled dormer to centre. Consoled doorpiece to rear. 20th century 2-storey projection to outer left and single storey addition linking rectangular-plan hall with 2-leaf, part-glazed timber door to S elevation, decorative segmental-arched surround and stylised gablehead.

NO 142 AND 144 CALTON ROAD: 2 rectangular-plan lodges with later additions, joined by segmental arch. Whitewashed harl; painted dressings. 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Pyramidal roof with coped and harled wallhead stack to No 144.

NO 57-61 (ODD NOS) CANONGATE: Block comprising early 19th century, 4-storey tenement to left and 18th century house with attic to right. Whitewashed harl, painted dressings, painted render to ground. SE (Principal) ELEVATION: former shop front at ground right; regular fenestration at all floors above. Square-headed pend 'Forsyth's Close' to ground floor centre. Coped skews. First floor room understood to contain dado, key-pattern frieze and semi-domed Rococo plaster-work cupboard.

Predominantly 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows with horns; various rooflights. Grey slate roofs. Predominantly coped and harled ridge and apex stacks; circular clay cans. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

BOUNDARY WALLS, GATEPIERS AND GATES: Rubble walls partially enclosing site to Canongate with iron railings. Whitewashed, rectangular gatepiers flanking entrance to No 53 'Younger Gate' and coped ashlar gatepiers flanking entrance to No 63 'McEwan Gate', both. Coped, harled walls to Calton Road; pedestrian opening to left. iron gates. Iron gates. Landscaped gardens with curving bi-furcated steps, sundial and drinking fountain.