23 Rutland Square, Edinburgh

This is a substantial, 21-bay town house forming part of the north-west side of Rutland Square, Edinburgh. It was designed by John Tait around 1830 to 1840 and has undergone later alterations, most notably in 1905 when number 23 was raised by one storey through the work of F.W. Deas. The terrace is composed of a recessed central block of five houses, flanked by three-bay houses on either side, with number 29 featuring a balustraded top.

The building is constructed from sandstone, with droved (rough-faced) ashlar at basement level and polished ashlar above, with stugged (rusticated) sandstone to the sides. A band course runs between the basement and ground floors, and again between the ground and first floors. Cast-iron balconies are present: Saltaire cross balconies are positioned at first-floor level above each group of three houses, while cast-iron semi-elliptical balconies are at second-floor level in number 25. A corniced detail sits above the second floor, with a further cill course at the third floor in number 23.

The principal, south-east elevation is of identical three-bay blocks, reflecting the central fifteen-bay section. At basement level, a segmental-arched doorway leads to a timber panelled door with a three-light segmental arched fanlight over, supplemented by a window to the left and a return window beneath the entrance platting. The ground floor features a timber panelled door with a rectangular fanlight, alongside other windows. The end block at number 23 has a square-headed basement door; windows are present in each bay at the third floor, with the terminal dies (uprights) of the original balustrade visible above. At number 29, the central window at second-floor level has been blocked, and a coped balustrade with evenly spaced stone dies is present above.

The south-west elevation features an architraved and corniced former doorway, now a window, along with paired windows on the first floor (with one blocked). A tripartite window appears on the second and third floors, alongside a wide window to the right. The north-east elevation incorporates a window positioned between the ground and first floors, with a larger window above. The north-west elevation was not inspected in 2000.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows are found throughout the building. Number 23 has 2-pane windows at ground and first floor level, while the dormers have 16-pane windows. The roof is grey slate, with slate-hung dormers and coped skews. A coped sandstone ashlar wallhead, rendered between numbers 24 and 25, sits above the building. Cast-iron rainwater goods are also present.

The interiors were not inspected in 1998.

Spear-headed cast-iron railings, with plain railings flanking the steps to doors, run along the south-east elevation. Pine cone finials adorn the shafts flanking the basement steps and ornamental iron lamp standards with glass globes are positioned outside each house to the left of the steps.