21 York Place, Edinburgh

21 York Place in Edinburgh is a late 18th century, three-storey terraced house with an attic and basement, located on a corner site. The building is constructed from broached ashlar sandstone and features V-jointed rustication at the principal floor. It has a base course, band courses between the basement and principal floor, and between the principal and first floors, as well as a cill course at the first floor. The second floor is topped with a mutuled cornice and blocking course, and there are projecting cills at this level. The entrance is accessed via ashlar steps and an entrance platform that oversails the basement.

On the north (principal) elevation, there is a recessed doorpiece in the bay to the left of centre, which includes a panelled timber door and a plate glass rectangular fanlight. The remaining bays on the principal floor feature windows, and there is regular fenestration on the upper floors and basement. The basement area is flagged.

The west elevation is adjacent to another building, which is listed separately (15-19A York Place). The east elevation, facing Elder Street, has a five-bay gable that transitions to 38 Elder Street. The principal floor here is painted and features an advanced pilastered doorpiece with a corniced lintel, a modern glazed door, and a plate glass rectangular fanlight in the bay to the left of centre. There is a modern tripartite window to the outer left, and regular fenestration on the remaining bays of the principal floor, including a blind window between the penultimate bay from the right and the outer right bay. The upper floors have regular fenestration, with three evenly spaced windows in the attic, all featuring projecting cills. The basement has irregular fenestration and is also flagged.

The south elevation is adjacent to another building, which is listed separately (30-34 Elder Street). The windows throughout the building include a variety of plate glass, 4-pane, and 12-pane timber sash and case styles. The roof is covered with grey slate and features a pair of slate-hung rectangular dormers with modern glazing, along with modern skylights. The building has cast-iron rainwater goods, a gablehead stack that is corniced and coped with circular cans, and coped skews.

The interiors were not seen in 1998. The property is enhanced by ashlar copes topped with cast-iron railings that have spear-headed and urn finials. There are pairs of railing-mounted cast-iron lamps with glass globes flanking the steps to 38 Elder Street.