Bonnington Bank House, 205 Ferry Road, Edinburgh

Bonnington Bank House is an early 19th century villa, significantly remodelled and extended in 1883 by John McLachlan. Originally a 3-bay villa with an advanced, pedimented central bay, it was later extended to the east, creating a near-symmetrical composition, and a single-storey, pedimented pavilion was added to the west. The house is constructed of dressed cream sandstone with ashlar dressings, featuring a base course, cornice, and blocking course. Windows are present in all bays on all floors.

The north elevation, facing Ferry Road, has seven bays. A stone porch, with panelled pilaster strips, a consoled cornice, and a round-headed doorcase with a dated keystone, is centrally positioned, accessed by oversailing steps above a basement recess. The porch has two-leaf panelled doors and a plate-glass fanlight. Flanking bays are advanced and pedimented, with round-headed bipartite windows within corniced frames at ground level. The central three bays feature moulded architraves and bracketed cills at the first floor, whereas the outer bays are plainer. Further bays were added to the east; one with a full-height canted bay, featuring cill courses, a band course, a cornice, and a piended roof with a wrought-iron finial. The adjacent bay is slightly set back, with droved masonry at ground level and ashlar facing at the first floor, incorporating earlier fabric. A modern addition with steps and a sunken round-headed window frame is to the west, linking to a single-storey, three-bay, pedimented pavilion with a blind door and flanking windows.

The south elevation is irregular in layout, with six bays and coursed dressed rubble. The three original bays on the left feature an elaborate timber conservatory/porch with carved bargeboards and stained glass. Flanking bays have tripartite windows at basement and ground levels. A modern single-storey and basement addition is advanced to the left, extending from the pavilion. On the right, three bays incorporate a full-height canted bay and a sun-lounge on a stone base with a grey slated, pitched roof.

The end elevations are blank.

The windows are timber sash and case with plate glass. The roof is piended with grey slates and coped rubble stacks.

The interior has been substantially altered, but retains some good plasterwork, a tiled fireplace with Walter Scott themes, and a curved stair.

A low stone wall with saddleback ashlar coping runs along the front, with two pairs of capped, rusticated ashlar gatepiers (one pair reduced in height).