10-10A Castle Street, Edinburgh

After 1792; subsequent alterations. 3-storey basement and attic 7-bay former pair of classical houses with flats above; modern shop built out at ground to No 14. Droved cream sandstone ashlar with polished dressings (4 left bays stone cleaned). Arcaded V-jointed rustication to houses at ground; long and short rusticated quoins. Centre bay to common stair slightly recessed. Band course above ground floor; lintel course to 1st floor; dentilled eaves cornice. At 2nd floor, blind centre windows to flanking blocks. Richly carved doorpiece with fluted pilasters and plate glass fanlight to No 10; ground and 1st floor windows (belonging to original house) stop-chamfered; pair of early 19th century bowed slate-hung dormers (left wider). Full-width 20th century slate-hung box dormer to No 14 with tripartite window to left and canted window to right.

Timber sash and case windows; 12-pane to No 10, plate glass to No 14 (multi-pane to attic). Ashlar coped skews to outer walls; mutual stone apex stack to S, rendered to N; smaller rendered stacks to inner walls; grey slates.

INTERIOR: No 10 with enriched ceiling to entrance Hall, disturbed by 19th century glazed screen. Pilastered archway to central curved cantilevered stair, open to basement, alternate decorative cast-iron banisters; extended with dog-leg to 2nd floor. Former Dining Room with fluted pilastered sideboard recess, panelled dado, black slate chimneypiece. Rear left room with similar recess. At 1st floor 19th century alterations to create 2-bay Drawing Room with panelled dado and contemporary grey marble chimneypiece, cornice, and double doors to rear left room. No 14 considerably altered to retail premises, and extended to rear; Jacobean ceilings survive at ground, suspended ceilings at 1st floor; remnants of 19th century stair with cast-iron barley twist banisters; vestigial remains of enriched entrance hall ceiling. Originally 4 flats from common stair, 2 to each floor.

RAILINGS: cast-iron spearhead railings to area and steps.