Sundial, Inveresk Lodge, Inveresk Village Road, Inveresk

Inveresk Lodge is a substantial house dating from 1683 and completed by 1700, with later alterations. It is constructed on an L-plan, comprising a 2-storey and attic house with a double attic in the wing and a stairtower positioned in the re-entrant angle. A 2-storey and double attic addition extends to the northwest, pre-dating 1700. The property adjoins a stable range running northeast parallel with the main block; this range has since been rendered free-standing (with 7 feet 6 inches of the house wing removed) and converted for residential use.

The building is finished in white painted harled rubble with sandstone ashlar dressings featuring rounded and chamfered arrises. Roofs are steeply pitched grey slate with crowstepped skews and beak skewputts. Gable stacks are positioned at the end and mutual gables.

On the north elevation, a wide door sits at the foot of a semi-octagonal stairtower, with 2-leaf doors and a 1st floor window above bearing a lintel dated 1683. A further door in the main block, altered from a window, sits at right angles to the left, flanked by additional windows including a blind 1st floor window. A shallow gabled bay projects to the right of the stairtower, breaking the eaves, with windows to each floor. Three bays to the right comprise one bay from the original wing and two from a slightly later addition, featuring 2 ground floor windows, a tall 1st floor window at the centre, and 3 swept dormerheads to attic windows. Evidence of a former corbelled, rounded stair-turret extends from the 1st floor at the outer right.

The southeast garden elevation is 5 bays wide. A door, altered from a window at the centre, is flanked by a cast-iron columned canopy porch. A tripartite corniced ashlar window projects to the left with two windows flanking to the right. Two narrow 1st floor windows occupy the left bays, with 3 enlarged 1st floor windows to the centre and right. The northeast gable is blank, with a lean-to addition at ground level.

The southwest elevation features a gable with ground and 1st floor windows to the left. A 2-bay wing of 1683 to the left has ground and 1st floor windows and 2 attic windows in swept dormerheads slightly breaking the eaves. Later bays include a flat-roofed porch and piend-roofed outbuilding to the outer left, with 2 ground floor windows, 2 tall 1st floor windows and swept dormerheads above. Two slate hung dormers serve the 2nd attic.

Windows throughout employ small-pane glazing patterns in sash and case frames.

The interior arrangement of rooms has been largely modernised. An 18th century panelled oak smoking room at ground level retains grey painted plaster dated 1704, with a Dutch tile slip to the chimneypiece. A stone newel stair in the stairtower is fitted with a simple wrought-iron balustrade. Circa 1900 decorative light fittings are distributed throughout. A bedroom and dressing room display Glasgow Style furniture with a painted frieze, and a decoratively tiled Glasgow Style bathroom from circa 1900 features a contemporary railed shower above the bath. Some original rafters remain retained in the roof.

A significant feature is the sundial, dated 1644. It is lectern-shaped, mounted on a pedestal set upon 4 stone balls with carved escutcheons to each face bearing the initials of Sir Henry Wardlaw and a cornice. The lectern dial incorporates heart-shaped details. The sundial was moved to Inveresk Lodge from Pitreavie in Fife, presented as a gift by Mrs Beveridge.

Remains of former outbuildings survive on a terrace southwest of the house as a sandstone rubble curtain wall containing 2 vaulted chambers. Local tradition claims a subterranean passage formerly connected these to the neighbouring property, Halkerston.

The retaining and terrace walls are constructed in sandstone rubble with sections of ashlar coping and harl-pointing. The terrace walls date from the late 19th century, with buttress additions added circa 1960. A decorative wrought-iron overthrow spans the main gate, incorporating a lantern at its centre.