27 Queen Street, Edinburgh

27 Queen Street, Edinburgh

Two terraced classical houses dating from 1789, with alterations made around 1910. Originally each was three storeys over basement and attic, arranged in three bays. The buildings are thoroughly linked internally. They are constructed in Craigleith droved sandstone ashlar with regular fenestration.

No. 26

The elevation is very plain with polished margin drafts and a base course. The second floor windows were later extended through the eaves with pedimented dormerheads, and a skylight was added. A former corniced architraved doorpiece to the left has been blocked and converted to a window, with its steps removed. The basement has a flush-panelled door with a 3-pane fanlight.

The rear elevation is of rubble with a 4-storey bow to the west, a closet tower at the centre, and a timber projection at ground level to the east, spanning two bays.

Timber sash and case windows are installed throughout: 12-pane to most storeys, with 15-pane windows to the second floor. Dressed ashlar mutual stacks and ashlar coped mutual skews support grey slate roofing.

The interior at ground floor contains a full-width L-plan library connected to No. 27 via an archway. This incorporates a bow-ended room to the rear right (currently with a temporary partition) featuring a black slate chimneypiece, dog grate, and delft tiles. A curving cantilevered stair at the centre survives with plain square iron banisters and mahogany handrail.

At first floor, a Committee Room occupies the front with an acanthus and dentilled cornice, corniced overdoors with clasping pilaster surrounds, and an early 19th century white marble chimneypiece with brass register grate. A door opens to the Council Room in No. 27. The bow-ended room to the rear right has a Doric screen and consoled white marble chimneypiece. The remaining room is divided with a moulded chimneypiece featuring a fluted frieze and dentilled cornice. The upper flight of the stair has been removed.

The second floor now forms a large office accessed from No. 27, incorporating attic space, with upper portions of the original rear attic room surviving in the roofspace above.

The basement serves as a caretaker's flat but retains some original features and wine bins.

No. 27

The elevation features polished ashlar dressings with long and short rusticated quoins and channelled rustication at ground level. A first floor cill course is present. An obtrusive full-width slate-hung box dormer with a central bipartite window crowns the composition.

Steps lead to a tripartite pilastered doorpiece with a frieze fluted with rosettes and a dentilled cornice. A rectangular timber batwing fanlight is above a pair of 2-leaf panelled doors with a panelled and glazed oak inner door. A flagpole is mounted above the door. The basement has a panelled door with a 3-pane fanlight.

The rear elevation is of rubble with a 2-bay projecting bow to the west; windows to this bow have been blocked to form a later stair. Access to the rear block is at ground level.

Timber sash and case 12-pane windows are installed throughout. Dressed ashlar mutual stacks and ashlar coped mutual skews support grey slate roofing.

The interior has a modern glazed inner door opening into a panelled hall with a terrazzo floor surviving beneath carpet. An enlarged curving cantilevered stair on axis sits in an extended bow to the rear, fitted with a naturalistic wrought-iron banister. Access under the stair leads to Stewart House.

The library occupies the remainder of the ground floor, entered by a 2-leaf door with lugged architrave, bolection frieze and egg and dart cornice. A panelled dado lines the walls. A formerly tiered timber chimneypiece at the front has been removed but appears in historical photographs.

The first floor is wholly occupied by the Council Room, entered by a similar 2-leaf door. A beam divides the ceiling laterally, each section with identical neo-Classical plaster ceiling featuring a concave diamond within an oval (the rear section possibly a copy of the original at the front). The room extends into a tripartite window bay at the rear. A panelled dado and plaster wall panels are present. Two very fine carved timber chimneypieces with gesso enrichments, fluted pilasters, friezes, dentilled cornices and swagged urns on tablets feature coloured veined marble slips and brass register grates. A door opens to the Committee Room in No. 26. A new purpose-made carpet and fine set of institutional furniture (not indigenous to the space) are present.

A glazed landing occupies the second floor with many alterations, including a link to No. 26. A straight stair leads to the attic. The upper section of the original stairwell and its cupola, featuring swagged husks and a dentilled cornice, are now blocked off within a cupboard.

External railings and lamp standards

Cast-iron fleurs-de-lys railings front No. 26, with plain railings to No. 27. No. 27 has wrought-iron lamp standards flanking the entrance platform.

Stewart House

A former bindery to the rear, fitted with cast-iron columns internally, now converted to training use.