40 Moray Place, Edinburgh

43 Moray Place is a substantial classical palace block designed by James Gillespie Graham in 1822. It is a four-storey and basement building with 23 bays, exhibiting a symmetrical design and a three-part in-canted frontage. The central nine-bay pavilion is advanced, flanked by a pair of three-bay houses, which are in turn flanked by a pair of splayed four-bay terminal pavilions. The building is constructed from polished ashlar sandstone, with V-jointed rustication at the principal floor level.

The main (northeast) elevation features a prominent central pavilion which is itself advanced again, creating a layered effect. The central three bays and the outer bays are emphasized by engaged Doric columns at the first and second floors, and a blank pediment tops the central section. A 4-panel timber door with a semicircular plate glass fanlight is located to the right of centre, with matching doors and rectangular fanlights on either side. Round-arched recesses contain windows, and the fenestration is otherwise regular, with a blank bay centrally positioned on the third floor. The basement area is flagged.

The flanking three-bay houses (Nos 38 and 42) have 4-panel timber doors with rectangular fanlights. The windows are architraved at the first floor and corniced at the second; No 42 is raised to four storeys. The terminal pavilions are advanced and feature Doric pilasters at the first and second floors, with panelled pilasters at the third. The penultimate bays from the left have 4-panel timber doors, one with a semicircular fanlight, the other radial. Round-arched recesses contain windows at the principal floor level. Again, the basement is flagged.

The return elevation to Great Stuart Street (five bays, forming No 2 Great Stuart Street) and the return to Forres Street (five bays, becoming 10 Forres Street) are described as separate listings.

The building has a variety of timber sash and case windows, grey slate M-roofs, and a pair of slate-hung box dormers to No 38. It features cast-iron rainwater goods and anthemion and palmette window guards at the first floor level. The chimneys are coped with circular cans.

The interiors were not inspected in 1998.

The building is surrounded by ashlar copes topped with cast-iron railings featuring fleur-de-lis finials, and railing-mounted lamps with glass globes.