Spylaw Bank House, 2 Spylaw Avenue, Colinton

Spylaw Bank House is a former farmhouse dating to circa 1810, with additions made in the mid-19th century. It is an L-shaped building of two storeys, originally three bays, with a central bay that slightly projects forward. The exterior is painted render with ashlar dressings, featuring a base course, cill course, eaves course, and a blocking course to the front (SE) elevation. Long and short quoins are present, along with ashlar margins around all windows and doors.

The principal, or SE, elevation showcases a two-leaf timber panelled front door with a plate glass fanlight, recessed within an unmoulded architrave frame, approached by two steps with side railings. A large, later canted bay window sits to the left. A minor raised section in the blocking course is positioned above the central window.

The SW (garden) elevation is divided into four sections. The original house features a gabled end to the right, with two ground-floor windows and a single first-floor window to the left. A piend-roofed section of four panels is centrally located. A recessed, piend-roofed single-storey section is found to the left, containing a French door and a window, and is unrendered. To the outer left stands a gabled section.

The NW (rear) elevation includes a 20th-century lean-to shed or conservatory with timber boarded doors and continuous glazing.

The NE (courtyard) elevation is also divided into four sections. The original house has a plain gable advanced to the left; to the right return are three windows. A piend-roofed section is centrally placed, incorporating a half-glazed timber back door with flanking windows at ground level and two windows above. To the right is another piend-roofed section with a large kitchen window and a smaller window. A slightly advanced gabled section on the outer right features 1950s folding garage doors.

The windows are predominantly timber sash and case, with plate glass at ground floor and 4-pane glazing to the front elevation; most side elevations feature 12-pane glazing. The original house has rendered gablehead stacks with ashlar margins and octagonal cans, while the central section features coped wallhead stacks with circular cans. Ashlar coped skews are also present. The roof is covered in graded grey slate, with cast-iron downpipes. Free-standing cast-iron boot scrapers are located on either side of the front steps.

Inside, the small entrance lobby has a half-glazed timber panelled inner door with diamond-shaped glazing. A curved cantilevered staircase features decorative wrought-iron balusters and a mahogany handrail. Timber panelled interior doors are also present.

The courtyard area is cobbled and paved, enclosed by coped random rubble walls to the NE. A small, single-storey, random rubble outbuilding or woodshed, with a single skew, an graded grey slate roof and timber boarded doors, is situated to the left.

The boundary wall is coped random rubble, with probably later sandstone gate piers featuring stepped tops, decorative timber gates, and a pedestrian gate to the left. A pair of round-topped sandstone gate piers are positioned to the left of the house.