Huntly House, 146 Canongate, Edinburgh

Huntly House, located at 146 Canongate in Edinburgh, is a predominantly late 16th century building with later alterations and additions. It is part of an outstanding group of 16th and 17th century dwellings that have been combined to form a single museum complex. The structure consists of a 3-storey and attic, triple-gabled building from around 1570 (No 146) that faces Canongate, alongside a 2-storey and attic, single-gabled 17th century building (No 142) featuring a balcony at the northeast corner. To the south, there are a pair of tenements from 1648 with gabled projections, connected by a segmental-arched pend that leads to an enclosed courtyard at the rear. The exterior is mainly harled and whitewashed rubble with ashlar dressings.

The principal elevation (north) of No 146 shows exposed rubble at the ground level and ashlar at the first floor, separated by a deep, bracketed string course. The upper levels are harled timber construction, jettied at the second floor with a triple-gabled attic. There are a series of Latin inscriptions at the first floor. No 142, to the left, rises to 3-storey and attic towards the rear. The wing section leading to Bakehouse Close is 3-storey with cat-slide dormers breaking the eaves, a square crow-stepped stair tower to the east, and a pair of advanced gableted bays to the southwest. The segmental-arched pend towards the north leads to an enclosed courtyard that features a moulded, octagonal shafted sundial at the center and an extensive collection of architectural fragments. There is a rubble boundary wall to the south and granite setts.

Inside, there is a wealth of moulded fireplaces and oak-panelled rooms, including an early 18th century panelled room with lugged architraves and cornices. The building also contains late 16th century painted beams that were taken from Pinkie House in Musselburgh. The windows are predominantly 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case style. The roof is covered with grey Scottish slate, and there is a mix of harled and exposed rubble at the ends, along with co-axial stacks. The east elevation features crow-stepped skews, clay cans, and cast-iron rainwater goods.