Police Chambers, 192 High Street, Edinburgh

The Police Chambers, located at 192 High Street in Edinburgh, were designed by William Nixon and built between 1845 and 1849. This impressive four-storey building, which rises to seven storeys at the rear, features a Classical style and occupies a significant corner site at Parliament Square and High Street. It includes a segmental arch that leads to the Old Fishmarket Close. The northern section, facing High Street, has been converted into flats with commercial premises on the ground floor, while the southern part houses District Courts and cells, accessible from Parliament Square.

The exterior is constructed of ashlar with channelled rustication at the ground level and coursed rubble at the rear. Architectural details include a base course, impost course, band courses, and a dentilled cornice at the third storey. The ground and top storey feature recessed round-arched window openings, with the ground floor windows showcasing pointed voussoirs. The upper storey windows are adorned with moulded architraves, consoled cornices, and some have blind balustered balconies at the first storey. The rear includes some windows fitted with bar grilles. A slender cast-iron column marks the canted corner at the first and second storeys adjacent to Old Fishmarket Close.

The western elevation, facing Parliament Square, has five slightly advanced bays on the left, featuring a central entrance porch with Doric columns. This porch includes a glass and timber entrance door with a round-arch fanlight and narrow sidelights. The three bays to the right contain a central timber and glass entrance door flanked by plate glass sidelights and bi-partite windows with stone mullions.

The building predominantly features 12-pane timber sash and case windows, with a coped gable and ridge stacks. The roof is piended and covered with grey slates, topped by a glass cupola.

A low stone boundary wall with decorative iron railings surrounds the property to the west.

Inside, as seen in 2007, the section converted into flats retains a wide, open-well staircase along with some decorative cornicing and working timber shutters. The District Courts feature one court room with timber panelling, seating, and a bench, complete with a carved timber canopy over the judge's seat.