Birchlea, 127 High Street, Dalkeith

Birchlea is an early 19th-century, two-storey and basement house located at 127 High Street in Dalkeith. It features a three-bay classical design with an additional wing set back to the south. The exterior is constructed of rubble that is squared and coursed on the east and north elevations, with ashlar dressings, base and first-floor cill courses, an eaves cornice, and a blocking course. The building has finely droved raised margins and quoins.

On the east elevation, there is a slightly advanced central bay topped with a blocking course and a tablet. The entrance features a deep-set panelled door with a plate glass fanlight, recessed within an ashlar panel. The fenestration is regularly arranged on both the ground and first floors, with taller windows on the ground floor. To the left, the wing includes a window at the first floor and an eaves course. A rubble wall runs eastward, with a garden door on the left.

The west elevation has steps flanked by stone parapets leading to a tall deep-set door with a plate glass fanlight situated in a bay to the left of centre. There is a basement entrance with a boarded door on the outer right. The fenestration is irregularly sized and arranged, while the two-bay return and wind elevations have regularly disposed fenestration, with the left side of the return being blank at the first floor and taller windows at ground level.

On the north elevation, there is a segmental-arched panel at ground level, which previously had a door and window; the door is now blocked as a window. Above, there is a stair window and a window at ground level to the right. A single-storey addition is located to the right, connected to a single-storey piend-roofed rubble range of outbuildings running west.

The south elevation is blank. The building largely features a 12-pane glazing pattern in sash and case windows, with plate glass in the centre window at the second floor on the east elevation. The roofs are piended, with an M-piend on the west. There are wallhead stacks on the north and south sides, and a ridge stack on the southwest re-entrant roof, covered with grey slates and lead flashing. Some original rainwater goods remain.

Inside, there is a dog-leg stair to the right with a cast-iron balustrade.