61, 62, 63 Queen Street, Edinburgh

1791 with considerable later alterations, including mid 19th century shopfronts. 3-storey basement and attic, 7-bay former pair of classical houses with flats above; now pair of shops with separate access to 1st floor flats, and common stair to upper flats (formerly double uppers, now 4 separate flats). Droved Craigleith sandstone ashlar (some replacement stones). At ground, basement paved over; central common stair door with plate glass fanlight flanked by matching 4-bay painted ashlar shopfronts, with inner bay occupied by door to 1st floor flat and mutuled cornices; No 61 set slightly higher with modern plate glass shop window; No 63 incorporates flat above, with altered shop entrance. At 1st floor, cill course; shadow of former applied timber cornices to 3 bays of No 61.

Mutuled cornice; pair of earlier 19th century bowed slate-hung dormers; numerous skylights.

Coursed rubble 4-storey 4-bay rear elevation; left bay with tripartite windows to each floor; centre bays bowed, with tripartite windows to centre right bay; diminutive right bay.

Timber sash and case 12-pane windows. Ashlar coped mutual skews; dressed stone stacks mutual stacks, rendered to E; grey slates.

INTERIOR: former houses with curving cantilevered top-lit stairs positioned behind common stair; shop at No 61 fully modernised; No 63 with many slappings but retaining features and painted chimneypiece to rear at ground. Former double uppers with good detailing to principal floor, panelled dadoes, cornices; E Drawing Room with fluted timber chimneypiece with Ionic pilasters, Dining Room to rear with elaborate carved timber chimneypiece (remainder of flats unseen 1994).