The Scott, former Salisbury Green House, 18 Holyrood Park Road, Edinburgh

The Scott, formerly known as Salisbury Green House, is a Grade A listed building located at 18 Holyrood Park Road, Edinburgh. It comprises a three-storey mansion with attic in an L-plan Baronial style, incorporating an earlier house of circa 1780 and substantial additions made between 1860 and 1867 by architect John Lessels, with a further extension added in 1979 by Gordon, Duncan and Somerville.

The original 18th-century house forms the main block. Its west (entrance) elevation features a base course with a carved biblical inscription and cornice to the entablature of the first-floor windows. The second-floor windows have cable moulding to their architraves and heraldic carving to their pediments, with an eaves course and cornice above. A central, advanced doorway is flanked by Doric columns and pilasters, topped with a cornice and heraldic panel. Above this is a three-light corniced canted window to the first floor, and a single window to the second floor with a bracketed cill and carved scrolls to its architrave. To the outer right is a three-light canted window at ground floor, with single windows above on the first and second floors featuring consoled cornices to their architraves. To the outer left is a tripartite window at ground floor, again with single windows above, and a bartizan projects from the second floor at the southwest angle. The south elevation is two-bay with a crowstepped gable, featuring single windows to all floors and two smaller windows with decorative cast-iron window guards to the attic. A bartizan projects from the second floor at the east angle. An extension of circa 1820 adjoins to the east, a single-storey bowed addition of three bays.

The dominant Lessels tower rises three storeys above the original house, featuring strip quoins and a corbelled, castellated parapet with bartizans to three angles. The west elevation displays an advanced bipartite window at ground floor with a cornice and finely carved heraldic panel above, separated from the upper floors by a band course. The first floor has a bipartite window with a carved panel above its corniced architrave, whilst the second floor contains a single architraved window with a bracketed cill, corbelled cornice and broken pediment. Bartizans project from the southeast and northwest angles. The top of the tower is crowned by a cap house featuring crow-step gables and a pedimented window above the parapet. The north elevation is two-bay with heraldic panels and pediments above windows, single windows to the first and second floors above with carved panels to corniced architraves, and central carved panels depicting a shield between the bays and upper floors. Bartizans project from the east and west angles.

The new wing added by Lessels adjoins and advances from the north elevation of the tower. It is two-storey with an attic and two bays. A bipartite doorway is positioned at the ground floor outer right, above which is a single window to the first floor with a carved stone balcony and broken pediment. A carved panel sits above a single attic window, which has a decoratively carved pediment breaking the eaves, all beneath a crowstepped gable. To the outer left are single windows at ground and first floors. A simple square bartizan projects from the east angle, with a linking block connecting to the service wing to the east.

The service wing is L-plan and single-storey, adjoining the new wing and modern extension to the north. Its west elevation features two crowstepped gables flanking a two-bay linking block, with an octagonal laundry at the north angle topped by a conical roof swept at the eaves, complete with original vents and cast-iron finial. The east elevation has an advanced block to the outer right with crowstepped gables, and a five-bay linking block to the left with a central crowstepped gable, single windows with pediments breaking the eaves, and box dormers.

The principal materials are stugged cream sandstone ashlar for the main elevation and single-storey wing, stugged squared and snecked sandstone for the 1979 modern extension, and rubble for the sides, rear of the original 18th-century house, and the circa 1820 wing. Decorative features include circular bartizans, cable moulding and cherub friezes to corbels, three small single windows with cable-moulded architraves, heraldic carving to the eaves course, and cast-iron finials to conical roofs. The windows throughout are of varied small-paned timber sash and case design. Grey slate pitched roofs and corniced wallhead stacks complete the exterior. A high rubble boundary wall surrounds the estate.

The interior retains many original features of considerable quality. Access is via a vestibule leading to the Stair Hall, which contains a polished stone dog-leg staircase to the left with ornate wrought brasswork supporting the handrail. To the right of the Stair Hall are two principal rooms. The Red Room, completed in 1882 by Alexander Dingwall and John Haddon of Bonnar and Carfrae, features a dramatic colour scheme in red, gold, black, white and olive green with ebony fittings and red velvet panels both showing gold leaf beading. Carved classical figures adorn the ebony overdoor, and a carved black marble fireplace with decorative tiles fronts the hearth. An intricate papier-mâché cornice with classical male heads at the corners and between panels runs around the room, with the ceiling decorated at each corner with elaborate Rococo designs in gold. The Drawing Room to the north, possibly dating to 1861 and attributed to Thomas Bonnar, is bowed to the south and now functions as a music room. It features oak skirtings, panelled doors and corbelled doorpieces. A carved white marble round-arched fireplace with pulvinated frieze and keystone is surmounted by a large mirror, with a further full-height mirror positioned on the west wall. Gilt beading decorates light green plasterwork panels, and the ceiling is decorated with clouds, cherubs, flower vases, female classical heads and a classical plaque rendered in grisaille. The Billiard Room to the east of the Stair Hall is top-lit and features elaborately carved oak fittings including paired strapwork pilasters and a recessed, panelled cue cupboard to the west wall. A white marble fireplace with decorative tiling sits within an oak fire-surround of strapwork pilasters and heraldic motifs, topped with a tripartite mirror overmantle. An egg-and-dart frieze and heraldic panels embellish the cornice, with carved wood panels decorating the ceiling. The student bedrooms retain some panelled corridors and doors with finely carved fireplaces featuring mirrored overmantles, and beams with simple carved designs.