32 Albany Street, Edinburgh

This is an earlier 19th century terrace of 36 bays, stepped downwards to the east, forming part of Albany Street in Edinburgh. The terrace is constructed of polished ashlar sandstone, with V-jointed rustication at the main floor level and rockfaced rustication at basement level. A base course, band course separating the basement and main floors, a cill course at the first floor, and a cornice and blocking course complete the exterior detailing. Ashlar steps and entrance platts project from the basement level.

The south-facing principal elevation comprises twelve three-bay houses arranged irregularly. Four-panel timber doors with plate glass and radial, rectangular fanlights are located to the right and left of each house at the main floor. The remaining bays on the main floor feature windows, with regular fenestration above and below, and lowered cills at numbers 20 to 28 and number 36. A flagged area is situated at basement level. A separate listing describes the adjoining terrace to the west (numbers 8-16 Albany Street).

The east-facing elevation, looking onto Albany Lane, presents a two-bay gable constructed of coursed rubble, with a chamfered northeast corner. Windows are present in the right-hand bay at all levels, and in the left-hand bay at the basement and attic levels. A coped rubble wall borders the right side.

A variety of timber sash and case windows are present throughout. Decorative cast-iron window guards are situated at the first floor of numbers 20 and 36, and in the left and right bays of number 22; decorative cast-iron window guards span the bays at the first floor of numbers 24, 26 and 28. The roof is covered with grey slate, punctuated by pairs of polygonally piended dormers at numbers 18, 32, 34 and 36; a rectangular dormer at number 26; and pairs of slate-hung bow-fronted dormers at numbers 20, 22, 24, 28, 30, 38 and 40. Cast-iron rainwater goods are fitted. The chimneys consist of a mix of rendered and broached ashlar ridge stacks, a coursed rubble gablehead stack with broached ashlar quoins, coped and topped with circular cans.

The interiors were not inspected in 1998.

At the rear of numbers 28 and 32 are former coach houses constructed of random rubble with droved ashlar dressings, linked by a modern single-storey garage. One section has a north-facing entrance elevation; it is single-storey and attic with a vertically-boarded folding door, a boarded window at attic level, and a blank west gable. The other section, also single-storey and attic, has a red brick eaves course, a modern vertically-boarded sliding garage door at ground level, a window at attic level, and an unseen east gable.

Ashlar copes support cast-iron railings featuring spear-headed and urn finials.