12 Swanston Village, Edinburgh

12 Swanston Village is made up of two small single storey cottages (converted into one). It sits at the west side of a small group of early to mid-18th century thatched cottages at the foot of the Pentland Hills on the outskirts of Edinburgh. The cottages were refurbished around 1959-62 by J Wilson Paterson for the Edinburgh Corporation and number 12 has early 21st century alterations. The ground level follows the angle of the sloping site and the south corner of the building is below the ground level.

It has rectangular-plan and the front (east) elevation is four bays, comprising two two-bay cottages each with a door to the right and a window to the left. There is a very small window to the right. The rear (west) elevation has two doors, three larger windows and a small ventilator or pantry window. The south gable has two windows (the attic floor added in the early 21st century). The cottage is rendered and painted random rubble on rough rubble foundations. It has deep window recesses with smoothed margins.

The window openings are small with timber sash and case frames with horns and various multi- pane glazing patterns. The doors are vertical boarded timber with small rectangular glazed panels. That to the right opens outwards to form a shutter to an inner glazed door. The roof is thatched in reed with a concrete ridge and stone skews. There are squared concrete gable chimney stacks with ventilated clay cans and cast iron rainwater goods.

The interior was seen in 2017 and predominantly has mostly early 21st century detailing. There is a thick internal cross wall between the two former cottages and deep window cills. There is an early 21st century staircase leading to the attic floor.