26, 27, 28 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh

Sir James Gowans, 1868-70 (dated 1870). 7-bay mansard-roofed symmetrical tenement block with idiosyncratic detailing; centre bay 4-storey, attic and basement, flanked by 5-storey and basement octagonal crown-roofed towers, with 3-storey, attic and basement outer bays. Polished ashlar. String courses dividing floors; stone bracketed eaves. Decorative bracketed surrounds to windows. Stone steps and platts over-arching basement area to centre and penultimate bays to left and right; timber panelled doors with round-arched fanlights in round-arched glazed doorpieces with flanking side-lights within recesses with serrated carved decoration in spandrels. Tripartite windows to outer bays at ground; shoulder-arched windows to 1st floor with serrated Moorish carving; round-arched windows to 2nd floor push up bracketed eaves below dormers; hooded dormers to attic. 3-light windows with decorative stone mullions to octagonal tower.

Plate glass in timber sash and case windows. Graded grey slates. Moulded stone ridge. Stone ribs, finials and encircling decoration to slated roofs of towers. Fluted ashlar stalks with scalloped, bracketed cornices; decorative octagonal cans with serrated tops.

BOUNDARY WALL AND RAILINGS: decorative cast-iron railings on low ashlar boundary wall with stone piers marking entrances.