499 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh

13 James' Court is a late 18th century tenement building that stands five storeys tall with an attic and features five bays. The ground floor has pilastraded shops, and the building is constructed of grey ashlar, which is painted at the ground level, while the rear is made of rubble. A continuous mutulated cornice runs along the shops, and there is an eaves course. The facade is regularly fenestrated with projecting cills. The attic includes two slated piend-roofed dormers at both the front and rear. At the back, there is a later single-storey harled building.

The windows are timber sash and case with 12-pane glazing. The roof is covered with grey slates, and there are tall corniced chimney stacks, with the left stack being brick and the right stack rendered, both topped with circular cans.