Eastern Pavilion, Arniston House

Arniston House is an exceptionally fine Palladian country house, begun by William Adam between 1726 and 1733, with later additions and alterations by John Adam (the west jamb and orangery, 1754–58), Wardrop and Reid (the porch, 1872), and Robert Rowand Anderson (who rebuilt the north pediment in the late 19th century). The main house comprises a three-storey-and-basement, nine-bay corps de logis connected by two-storey, three-bay links to two-storey, three-bay pavilions. The walls are built in tooled coursed pinkish sandstone rubble — originally harled — with polished dressings, while the wings are in random rubble. Throughout, the elevations feature a base course, a dividing band course between basement and ground floors, long-and-short V-jointed rusticated quoins, relieving arches, and a moulded eaves course.

NORTH (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION

The entrance front is symmetrical. The corps de logis has its bays grouped 2–5–2. A single-storey, three-bay tooled coursed ashlar porch, added in 1872 by Wardrop and Reid, projects forward at the centre of the ground floor. Its central round-arched doorway has a Gibbs surround and is flanked by engaged Tuscan columns; above, an open pediment encloses a scrolled cartouche bearing the initials "RD" (for Robert Dundas). The door itself is a two-leaf panelled timber door. The flanking bays of the porch each have round-arched niches, also with Gibbs surrounds, set on Tuscan pilasters, and the angles of the porch are strengthened by clasping Tuscan blocked pilaster buttresses. The left and right returns of the porch have Venetian windows, blocked pilasters to the angles, and a continuous moulded cornice with a coped balustrade. Round-arched windows sit above small basement windows at the re-entrant angles between the porch and the main facade.

On the main facade above, the central bays of the first floor have three niches with keystones, and the second floor has three architraved windows surmounted by a carved pediment — rebuilt around 1890 — enclosing the Dundas and Oliphant coat of arms, supported on four engaged Ionic columns. The two flanking bays of the corps de logis have regular fenestration throughout. The outer bays are advanced and feature small windows with rusticated surrounds at basement level, windows with keystone and Gibbs surrounds at ground floor, a dividing band course, architraved windows with keystones at first floor, and windows with moulded surrounds at second floor. A continuous dentil-moulded cornice runs above with a coped balustrade.

The links are angled and symmetrical, two storeys with three bays each, having been raised from single storey by Wardrop and Reid in 1877. The centre bay of each link has a polygonal-headed doorway with a Gibbs surround — glazed in the left link, panelled in the right — surmounted by a pediment, with pilasters supporting a basket-arched frame at the angles. The flanking bays at ground floor each have an octagonal window with a Gibbs surround, and a single window above with a keystone and moulded surround. Each link is finished with a moulded cornice, a coped balustrade, and urn finials.

The pavilions are symmetrical. Their north elevations have regular fenestration, while their three-bay inside returns feature Venetian windows to the centre of the ground floor with regular fenestration to the flanking bays, two small windows to the centre of the first floor, and regular fenestration to the flanking bays above.

WEST ELEVATION

The main west elevation is symmetrical, two storeys and a basement, with six bays. The basement has nine-pane windows with keystones and rusticated surrounds; the ground floor has pedimented windows with moulded surrounds; the outer left bay at basement and ground floor is masked by the link. The second floor has architraved windows throughout.

The west elevation of the pavilion is four bays. At ground floor, the central bay has an infilled doorway, while the bay to its right has a panelled timber door with a two-pane fanlight, and the outer right bay has a window. At first floor, the two central bays each have small windows, and the outer right and left bays each have a window. A later wing projects forward to the outer right, and its west elevation was not inspected in 1997. The left return, forming the courtyard elevation, is dated 1888 on a shouldered wallhead stack; it has a glazed door to the left bay at ground level and regular fenestration to the remainder.

SOUTH ELEVATION

The south elevation of the corps de logis is symmetrical, in tooled random rubble, with seven bays grouped 2–3–2. A perron stair of around 1800 leads to a three-bay flat-roofed porch, also of around 1800, which projects forward through the basement and ground floors. The basement bays of the porch have six-pane barred windows, blind at the centre, with a balustraded dividing band course above. At ground floor, each bay of the porch has a large window flanked by engaged Corinthian columns supporting a moulded frieze. Glazed two-leaf timber doors with two-pane fanlights are set in the left and right returns of the porch, reached by balustraded swept stone steps of around 1800.

The flanking sections of the corps de logis have regular fenestration at basement and ground floors. The centre three bays at first floor have round-arched windows with keystones, and above these, three nine-pane windows break the eaves cornice at second floor. The whole is surmounted by a pediment incorporating a carved Scottish Royal Coat of Arms with thistle and rose and the motto "NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSET," crowned by a pair of sphinxes. The flanking bays have regular fenestration throughout.

The left link on the south side has five bays, with those to the left obscured by trees. The penultimate bay to the right has a first-floor window with a moulded surround and keystone, and a small ground-floor window; the flanking bays each have a first-floor window; pilasters support a basket-arched frame at the angles; and a blocking course with stone urns finishes the angles.

The right link has a doorway set slightly right of centre in the central bay, with a two-leaf timber door reached by stone steps, and a window at first floor above. The flanking bays each have a window at first floor. There is a barred window set slightly left of centre in the ground floor of the right bay; pilasters support a basket-arched frame at the angles; and a blocking course with stone urns to the angles. The left bay of the right return has two ground-floor windows with a blank panel above, and windows at both ground and first floor in the right bay. The recessed bay to the outer right has a ground-floor window and a blind first-floor window.

EAST ELEVATION

The main east elevation is symmetrical, with six bays and regular fenestration to all floors. The outer right bays at basement and ground floor are masked by the link, and the first- and second-floor windows above are blind.

The east elevation of the pavilion is asymmetrical, with five bays. At ground floor, large round-arched doorways occupy the central bay, the penultimate bay to the right, and the outer right bay: the central and penultimate-right bays have glazed two-leaf doors, while the outer right opening gives access to a garage and is flanked by a small window. The penultimate bay to the left has an infilled round-arched doorway, and the outer left bay is blank. The first floor has irregular fenestration.

ORANGERY AND WEST OUTBUILDINGS

Dating from around 1753, the orangery and west outbuildings are two storeys and were originally U-plan, though the courtyard has since been roofed over. They are linked to the west of the house by a single-storey lean-to with a corrugated iron roof, which has two two-leaf boarded timber doors to the north elevation. A random rubble wall with polished gatepiers to the north of this lean-to forms a courtyard to the rear of the pavilion.

The north elevation is asymmetrical with seven bays. Round-arched doorways with impost details are in the centre bay and the penultimate bays to the left and right; there is a doorway in the bay immediately right of centre; the bay immediately left of centre has a window flanked by two further windows; the outer right bay has a blind window; the outer left bay has a window flanked by a small window to its right. The penultimate bay to the right and the outer right bay have large louvred openings; the remainder has regular fenestration.

The west elevation has three bays. The centre bay was originally an open courtyard and is now covered by a gable timber roof. The inside left return has irregular fenestration. The bay to the right has an infilled doorway set slightly left of centre at ground level with a blind window above. The outer right bay contains the Orangery, entered through a Venetian doorway set within a recessed round arch, fitted with a boarded and glazed two-leaf timber door with an eight-pane fanlight.

The south elevation of the Orangery is seven bays, symmetrical, in droved snecked sandstone rubble with polished dressings. The centre bay has a round-arched doorway set within a recessed round arch, fitted with a boarded and glazed two-leaf timber door with an eight-pane fanlight. The remaining bays each have round-arched windows with long-and-short voussoirs and impost details.

The east elevation is seven bays, near-symmetrical. The centre of the ground floor has a large window opening flanked by two panelled timber doors, with regular fenestration to the three central bays at first floor. The outer bays are advanced: the ground floor of the penultimate left bay and the outer left bay are obscured by the lean-to described above, though the first floor has regular fenestration; the penultimate right bay has a ground-floor window and the outer right bay has a ground-floor doorway; the outer right bay has a single first-floor window; there is a small rooflight to the centre.

STABLES, EAST OUTBUILDINGS AND EAST COURTYARD

The stables and east outbuildings are two storeys and U-plan, linked to the east of the house at the rear of the pavilion by a random rubble wall to the south (with a boarded timber door) and a coursed rubble coped wall to the north, which sweeps down to the east where polished gatepiers with spherical caps mark the far eastern boundary. The resulting enclosure is a cobbled courtyard, and a mounting block remains in place.

The north elevation is nine bays, near-symmetrical. The third and seventh bays from the left at ground floor each have a round-arched doorway fitted with two-leaf boarded timber doors and five-pane fanlights; the remaining ground-floor bays have regular fenestration. There are five first-floor windows, the one at the outer right breaking the eaves.

The west elevation is seven bays, asymmetrical. The centre bay and the flanking bay to its left at ground floor each have wide round-arched doorways with glazed boarded timber doors, now used as garages. A 20th-century lean-to addition projects forward from the flanking bay to the right, with a window and a boarded timber door to its left return and a slate roof. The centre of the first floor has a piended dormer, and the flanking bay to the right has a small four-pane window. The outer bays are advanced, each with a doorway with a relieving arch at ground level fitted with boarded timber doors, and a piended dormer above at first floor. There is also a piended dormer to the penultimate bay to the right at first floor; the penultimate bay to the left is blank. A pall stone is at the outer left corner.

The south elevation is partially obscured by trees. It has seven bays, each with a round-arched window with impost detail.

The east elevation has three bays, the centre recessed, and is largely obscured by two timber lean-to additions to the inside returns. A window opening breaks the eaves, with a cat-slide roof over the inside right return. The outer right bay has windows off-centre to the right at both ground and first floor. The outer left bay has a large opening with a metal lintel at ground level and a window opening off-centre to the left at first floor.

The east courtyard itself is enclosed by tooled snecked rubble walls with droved dressings and polished ashlar coping to the south, east, and north, and the stable and outbuilding block to the west. There is an opening to the west of the north wall; a lean-to shelter with a corrugated iron roof lines the inside of the north wall; and the floor is cobbled.

WINDOWS, ROOFS AND RAINWATER GOODS

Windows throughout are predominantly twelve-pane timber sash-and-case, with thicker astragals largely dating from William Adam's original scheme. Roofs are piended grey slate with lead ridges. Ridge stacks are primarily double and triple corniced ashlar with circular cans. Rainwater goods are mainly cast iron, with some lead downpipes and decorative hoppers.

INTERIOR

The entrance hall is arcaded through two storeys and is decorated with Baroque plasterwork by Joseph Enzer, executed between 1730 and 1735. It also houses a clock dated 1592, originally from the earlier tower house, now in an 18th-century case made by Francis Brodie of Edinburgh. The Oak Room has fine panelling and a basket-arched William Adam fireplace with late 19th-century overmantles, and opens into a porch of around 1800 leading to the garden. On the second floor, the Old Library has plasterwork by Enzer, including an elaborate frieze and plaster vaults; the original bookcases are now grained and house a porcelain collection. The Dining Room (restored 1995) and the Drawing Room (restored 1997) are in the west range and were designed by John Adam in 1753; the Drawing Room plasterwork was designed by John Adam and executed by Philip Robertson between 1762 and 1763. The New Library was designed by Thomas Brown and Adam Lumsden and built between 1866 and 1868; its fireplace is in the Jacobean style and bears the inscription "ELD 1868 RD." Remains of a railway from the old kitchen to the dining room survive.

HA-HA

A stone ha-ha runs from east to west to the north of the house.

SUNDIAL

A sundial stands at the centre of the south lawn. It is of circular plan with egg-and-dart carving around the base of the shaft, gadrooning to the base of the waisted neck, and a gnomon ornamented with a raised thistle.

HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Arniston House is an exceptionally fine example of a country house designed for, in the words of Sir John Clerk of Penicuik, "convenience and use." The land on which the Arniston Estate stands was originally used by King Malcolm for hunting from Edinburgh Castle. It changed hands several times over subsequent centuries, and after the Reformation the property was divided into several units. The most significant portion was bought in 1571 by George Dundas, 16th Laird of the Dundas Estate, as an inheritance for his son James — the child of his second marriage to Katherine Oliphant — since he already had an heir to his existing estate at South Queensferry from his first marriage. The union of the Dundas and Oliphant families is represented by the Elephant of the Oliphant family and the Lion of the Dundas family on the North Lodges (listed separately). James took over the estate around 1600; the original house is thought to have been built around 1620 and was a U-plan building with a large walled garden. James also extended the estate, acquiring farms such as Castleton (listed separately). His grandson Robert inherited the estate in 1679 and, on his return from exile in Holland in 1689, began to improve Arniston. He intended to build a new house and to improve the estate in the manner of the continental mansions and grounds he had seen abroad. Improvements to the gardens were begun, but it was Robert's son — also named Robert — who commissioned William Adam to design the new mansion house.

The design for the present Arniston House was clearly influenced by James Gibbs's design for Down Hall in Essex, though it was by no means a copy. Adam was also inspired by the ideas of Sir John Clerk of Penicuik, for whom he had designed Mavisbank (completed in 1727). Clerk's poem The Country Seat described the "useful" country house, which Arniston undoubtedly was — also a design of good taste, in the words of A.A. Tait, "blending of the cultivated with the natural senses." William Adam's design was based on the foundations of the existing 17th-century house. The house was originally entered by a three-bay temple front with a rusticated ground floor and round-arched openings, now masked by the 1872 porch addition; the three niches above, which were to contain portrait busts, still survive. The rest of the house was originally harled rubble with single-storey passages to the service pavilions.

Building was not completed until the mid-18th century, as Robert ran out of money. By that time William Adam had died, and his son John took on the commission in 1753 for Robert, 4th Lord Arniston. John Adam was responsible for the west range, which he adapted to the tastes of the day, replacing the double-height apartments with the dining room and drawing room. Both have recently been restored — the drawing room in 1997 and the dining room in 1995 — following the discovery of dry rot in 1957.

William Adam's arrangement for the grounds, which appears to have been carried out to the south, mixed the formal with the informal and comprised a bastioned parterre, wilderness, great avenue, cascade, and basin. From the 1750s there was a long period of improvement, principally involving the informalisation of the grounds. John Adam continued to work on the grounds where his father had left off and was responsible for some of these changes. By 1764 the parterre and cascade had gone. In 1791 Thomas White designed an improvement and informalisation plan for the Arniston grounds; though little of it was actually carried out, the gardens did become more informal towards the beginning of the 19th century.

The Scottish Royal Coat of Arms within the pediment of the south elevation — like some of the stones on the rustic bridges in the sunken garden (listed separately) — possibly originated on Parliament House, Edinburgh, which was refaced by Robert Reid in 1803.