48 Albany Street, Edinburgh

48 Albany Street in Edinburgh is a classical terrace building, likely designed by William Sibbald, dating from the early 19th century. It is two stories tall, with an attic and basement, and features 14 bays. The exterior is made of polished ashlar sandstone, with V-jointed rustication on the principal floor and rockfaced stone at the basement. There is a base course, band courses between the basement and principal floor, as well as between the principal and first floors, and a cill course at the first floor. The building has a cornice and blocking course at the first floor, with ashlar steps and entrance platts that extend over the basement.

The south elevation consists of a single two-bay house and four three-bay houses. The entrance features four-panel timber doors with various plate glass and radial rectangular fanlights. The door for No 46 is located in the bay to the right, while Nos 48-54 have a mirrored arrangement of doors in the bays to either side at the principal floor. The remaining bays at the principal floor and basement have windows, with the cills lowered at the first floor of No 54. There is a flagged basement area.

The west elevation adjoins another terrace, which is listed separately (42-44 Albany Street), while the east elevation adjoins another house, also listed separately (56 Albany Street).

The windows are predominantly two-pane timber sash and case, with decorative leaded upper panes in No 54. The roof is covered in grey slate, featuring a late mansard roof at No 54. No 46 has a slate-hung polygonally piended dormer, while Nos 48-54 have pairs of polygonally piended dormers, with slate hanging at No 48. The building has cast-iron rainwater goods, red brick and rendered ridge stacks that are coped with circular cans, and coped skews.

The interiors were not seen in 1998, but there is some evidence of working panelled shutters. The property is enclosed by ashlar copes topped with cast-iron railings that have spear-headed and urn finials.