Rear Block To N, 537-539 Castlehill, Edinburgh

The rear block at 537-539 Castlehill in Edinburgh is a combination of earlier 17th century and early 19th century architecture, with later alterations made by Ian G Lindsay and Partners between 1979 and 1981. This structure features a three-storey, three-bay early 19th century plain ashlar block facing Castlehill, flanked by pends on both sides leading to a long, narrow, rubble-built 17th century L-plan block at the rear.

On the south elevation facing Castlehill, there is a continuous cornice and fascia at the ground floor, along with an eaves course. Fluted pilasters are positioned at the outer right and left sides of the ground floor, and there is a two-leaf glazed door that leads into a shop, with projecting cills above.

The east elevation, which faces Jollie's Close, includes a drum stair tower and serves as the entrance to a three-storey and attic rubble-built tenement that is built into the slope of the ground.

The west elevation, facing Semple's Close, features a rubble-built three-storey and attic four-bay tenement with ashlar dressings, now at a lower level. It has two broad wallhead stacks and a later dormer in the attic. There is a fragment of Sempill House to the north, which is three storeys tall, rubble-built with ashlar dressings, and includes a piend-roofed semi-octagonal stair tower on the left. This section has a studded timber boarded door set in a roll-moulded surround with a corniced inscribed lintel above, and a recessed bay to the right with a timber boarded door to the left in a roll-moulded surround, along with paired windows above.

The windows throughout the building feature 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case frames, and the roofs are covered with grey slates. The east gable of the 19th century block has a corniced apex stack, while the 17th century blocks have corniced rubble wallhead stacks, all fitted with circular cans.