6 Rutland Square, Edinburgh

John Tait, circa 1830-1840, with later alterations. 3-storey over basement, attic dormers added later, 21-bay, palace-fronted town house terrace comprising recessed central block of 5, 3-bay houses, with further 3-bay, balustraded houses to each end, forming SE side of Rutland Square. Droved sandstone ashlar at basement; polished (some groups stone-cleaned) sandstone ashlar above with polished dressings; coursed stugged sandstone to sides. Band course between basement and ground floors, and between ground and 1st floors; Saltire-cross cast-iron balcony to each 3-bay group at 1st floor; cill course at 2nd floor; cornice above; wide, 3-light box dormer to No 9; box dormer to No 11. Moulded architraves to windows; cornices to 1st floor windows in advanced 3-bay flanking groups; fluted Ionic columns to corniced porches over doors; ashlar steps and entrance platts oversailing basement.

NW (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: Regularly disposed, deep-set timber panelled door with large rectangular fanlight (4-pane lying-pane to No 11) in doorway at left of each 3-bay block at ground floor; door beneath oversailing stair at basement; windows to all remaining bays to ground floor and basement (except Nos 5 and 6, segmental-arched doorway with 3-pane segmental fanlight in bay to right of door at basement); regular fenestration to upper floors.

NE ELEVATION: architraved and corniced doorpiece (doorway blocked apart form rectangular fanlight) offset to left of centre at ground floor; centred window at each floor above; small window at each floor to left; window (blocked) at 1st and 2nd floors to outer left.

SW ELEVATION: centred architraved door, converted to window at ground floor; 2 evenly disposed windows at 1st floor; centred window at 2nd floor; 3 evenly disposed attic windows above; 2 truncated former multi-flue wallhead stacks above.

SE ELEVATION: not seen 2000.

2 and 12-pane timber sash and case windows. Grey slate roof; coped skews. Coped and repaired ashlar wallhead stacks to NE (with many original moulded octagonal cans) and SW. Cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIORS: not seen 2000.

RAILINGS AND LAMP STANDARDS: spear-headed (plain flanking steps to doors) cast-iron railings, mounted on ashlar copes; pine cone terminals (many missing) to flanking shafts to basement steps; cast-iron railing-mounted lamps with glass globes at right of steps to each 3-bay group.