36, 38, 40 Cumberland Street, Edinburgh

42, 44, and 46 Cumberland Street is a terraced tenement building designed by Thomas Brown in the early 19th century. It stands three stories tall with a basement and features 43 bays constructed from broached ashlar sandstone. The principal floor showcases V-jointed rustication, architraved windows with cornices, and a band course between the basement and the principal floor, as well as between the principal and first floors. There is a cill course at the first and second floor windows, and a cornice with a blocking course at the third floor. The entrance is marked by ashlar steps and platts that oversail the basement.

On the south elevation, there are round-arched doorpieces with six-panel timber doors and radial semicircular fanlights located in specific bays. The remaining bays at the principal floor contain windows, while the upper floors and basement feature regular fenestration. The east elevation is made of coursed rubble, with windows centered on all floors except the basement, which has a window to the left of center and a small light to the right. The west elevation is mostly blank, with a centrally located window at the principal floor, flanked by windows at the basement. There is also a corniced and pilastered doorpiece on the outer left of the basement, which has been altered, with steps removed to lower the height of the door and fanlight.

The building predominantly features 12-pane timber sash and case windows, a grey slate M-roof, and cast-iron rainwater goods. The ridge stacks are made of rubble and rendered materials with broached quoins, while the gablehead stacks are also rubble with broached quoins and are coped with circular cans. The skew copes are made of ashlar.

The interiors were not seen in 1997, but there is some evidence of working panelled shutters. The property is enclosed by railings that consist of ashlar copes topped with cast-iron railings featuring fleur-de-lis balusters and pineapple finials.