Moubray House, 51 And 53 High Street, Edinburgh

Moubray House is a Grade A listed building comprising two interconnected ranges on Edinburgh's High Street. The main tenement dates to circa 1630 as a 4-storey structure with attic, though it incorporates a late 15th century core. A long narrow 3-storey range extends to the rear, built circa 1530 and stepped to follow the slope, bounded by Trunk's Close and Hope's Court.

Both ranges are constructed of random rubble with dressed margins to openings, some raised. The front elevation features a circa 1910 shopfront at ground level, with a forestair to the left topped by a prominent moulded and corniced early 19th century architrave. A timber jettied and gabled attic outshot projects to the left.

The High Street elevation displays stop-chamfered roll-moulded surrounds to the forestair containing a boarded and iron-studded oak door, alongside a 17th century panelled oak door with a central rectangular carved armorial panel (possibly a later addition), elaborate iron furniture and a spyhole. Large windows occupy the 1st and 2nd floors with relieving arches, particularly to the paired windows at centre and left. Small irregular stair windows appear to the left. A lightly corbelled semi-dormer breaks the eaves, whilst the attic bay contains a long horizontal 6-part window. Timber sash and case multi-pane glazing and cast-iron rainwater goods are throughout. Grey slate roofs with corniced end stacks and clay cans complete the exterior.

The eastern elevation of the High Street tenement is a single bay, punctuated by a triangular-pedimented wallhead dormer breaking the eaves and topped by a crowstepped gable. An early 20th century rendered connecting corridor runs along the western elevation at Trunk's Close, where heavily corbelled features and visible stair treads mark the wall. Two blocked doorways are evident here. The rear range's western elevation displays massive corbelling with visible stair treads, a timber boarded door and window. The eastern elevation is lower, dating to the 16th century, with a segmental-arched doorway on the left (stone lintel replaced) and a much larger blocked segmental arch to the right. A regularly-spaced row of five 1st floor windows sits above, with three semi-dormers above those. The northern elevation shows a partially freestanding 17th century truncated crowstepped gable, a segmental archway, and blocked window openings above.

The interior contains significant period features. The 1st floor room to the south has pine panelling and cornice beneath a plain plastered ceiling, with a late 18th century timber chimneypiece. The 2nd floor principal room to the south features a replica roll-moulded chimneypiece in the east wall with Delft tiled slips, pine surround and overmantel flanked by 17th century fluted pilasters with Ionic capitals. A second fireplace occupies the north wall. The ceiling is a mid 17th century work moulded with ribs and terms, floral motifs, cherubs' heads and a heraldic device of a cinquefoil flanked by a crescent and crown.

A turnpike stair ascends to attic level with deep window recesses. Timber beamed ceilings and thickly plastered walls feature throughout, with timber panelled doors, window architraves and shutters. A plain stone chimneypiece sits in the rear room. A timber stair leads to a full depth attic room with a barrel-vaulted part-painted timber ceiling (the southern section is plain and replaced). A deeply recessed rear left window and an advanced chimneybreast in the west gable wall (plain stone chimneypiece with Delft tiled hearth and Coalbrookdale stove) are present. A mid 16th century oak linenfold panelled door faces east. Behind a narrow door at the south-east corner, steep timber stairs lead to an eaves space with modern north-facing Velux window and timber beams. The backland contains a 1st floor board and beam painted ceiling circa 1580, which was restored in 2010.