42, 44, 46 North Castle Street, Edinburgh

1792-4. 3-storey basement and attic, 9-bay double bow fronted former pair of classical houses with flats above, on corner site. Polished cream sandstone ashlar. V-jointed rustication at ground; cill course at 1st and 2nd floors; eaves cornice. At centre, 3 arcaded doorpieces with Roman Doric pilasters; individual flights of steps; door at centre, to common stair, with blind fanlight; flanking ones with radiating metal glazing; panelled doors; pair of flagpoles. Outer bays united as single full-height bows. Canted piend-roofed dormers; pair to N, single 1 to S, with rooflights. Irregular coursed rubble gable; 3 further bays to Young Street.

12-pane timber sash and case windows. Ashlar coped skews; ashlar stack to S, corniced rendered stack to N; grey slates.

INTERIOR: No 42 thoroughly refurbished 1995; entrance Hall flanked by shallow arched recesses, 1 with slapping to former Dining Room with black slate chimneypiece and Corinthian pilastered sideboard recess, completely opened through to rear room. Cantilevered stone stair at centre with quarter landings and plain square iron banisters; scrolled frieze marks 1st floor level (landing formerly gave access via short flight of steps to No 46); gothic fanlights at landing from single bay NE and rear NW rooms. Former Drawing Room with panelled dado (white marble chimneypiece stolen) and direct access to rear room. No 46 extended to rear at all floors by linking with block in Young Street; similar stair extended through former flat to attic with turned and block banisters (reused from upper stair?); glazed screen in entrance Hall archway; former Dining and Drawing Rooms both with black slate chimneypieces; latter with swagged frieze, panelled dado, plaster panelled walls, and filled-in recess to inner wall; nicely detailed offices to rear at 1st floor; Boardroom (former Dining Room) at 2nd floor front unseen 1995. Flat at No 44 (above No 42) with plain square banisters to top lit stair; former Dining Room at front with pilastered sideboard recess with swagged frieze, panelled dado and carved chimneypiece with fluted Corinthian pilasters and marble slips; rear room with tripartite window, panelled dado, carved chimneypiece with panelled pilasters and marble slips; further stair to garret.

RAILINGS AND LAMP STANDARD: cast-iron spearhead railings; single lamp standard survives to No 42.