74 Colinton Road, Edinburgh

James Gowans, 1885-86. Terrace of 6, 2-bay houses, 2-storey with basement as ground floor to rear on falling ground; sandstone, squared and coursed variegated rubble with ashlar dressings, droved ashlar raised quoins; chamfered door and window reveals; 1st floor windows breaking eaves in gabled dormerheads with incised traingle, pen-nib carving and heavy coping; sidelights to canted doors.

SE (FRONT) ELEVATION: each comprised of canted doors to right and windows to left, linking ground floor and basement with half-piend, except Nos 68 and 70 (outer right) which are mirrored 2-bay houses with canted doors linked in central bays; doors accessed by bridge; apron of ground floor windows Gowans-style stick-style detailing of thin vertical bands of ashlar alternating with vertical bands of squared rubble; 1st floor windows breaking eaves; overhanging eaves with paired timber brackets at wallhead and to canted bays; bottom flat accessed through door in left side of bridge; panelled doors (except No 72) with narrow rectangular 4-pane fanlight (Nos 72-78) or narrow rectangular fanlight with leaded lights (Nos 68-70).

SW ELEVATION: composition of front elevation repeated with two windowed bays rising from basement to 1st floor as above.

NW ELEVATION: 4 bays to outer left composed of 2 small cenrtal gables flanked by larger end gables with brgeboards dated 1886 at Nos 68 and 70; Nos 72-78 square bays rising three storeys in left bay, canted window at principal floor swept to square at 1st and basement floor; 1 window per bay at basement floor and 1st floor level with latter breaking; Nos 62-78 each bay to right bridged at principal floor with narrow corbelled brick-built square projection with pitched roof and timber mullioned tripartite window (No 78 altered). Timber sash and case windows, 2-pane lower sashes, 8-pane upper sashes; slate roof; tall corniced chimney stacks with stick-style detailing; originally each with 6 decorative cans, some retained; stone finials on dormers surviving at Nos 68, 70 and 78; cast-iron down pipes with decorative brackets and gutterheads.

INTERIOR: not seen 1992.

RAILINGS: distinctive cast-iron railings with individual en suite gates, vertical members terminated by ball finials.