Colinton House, Colinton Road, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Richard Crichton, 1801-6, adapted from scheme by Thomas Harrison (see Notes). Alterations WH Playfair, 1840-41; Dick Peddie and Walker Todd, 1928, reconstructed wings, built former gymnasium wing and remodelled interior. 2-storey and basement, 5-bay classical house on sloping site; projecting portico with coupled Ionic columns; lower recessed wings with Venetian windows. Coursed droved Craigleith ashlar with polished dressings. Base course, cill courses, eaves course and blocking course.

SE (PRINCIPAL) ELEVATION: central portico with coupled ionic columns and entablature with decorative frieze. 5 steps leading to 2-leaf timber panelled entrance door with sunburst fanlight and sidelights in pilastered architrave; channelled stonework to voussoirs and architrave. Regular fenestration. Recessed wings with Venetian windows in slightly advanced central bays; paterae flanking arch and blind tablet above supported on guttae. Pilastered openings below heavy cornice to outer bays; small recessed panels above. Square ventilation lantern with louvred faces and piended metal roof to ridge of right wing; later roof extension to left wing. 1928 former gymnasium to outer left with piended roof and Venetian window.

SW ELEVATION: former gymnasium: blind wall with door set off centre right; 4 relief panels of modern art.

NW (REAR) ELEVATION: 3-storey main house with 2-storey wings. 3-bay bowed section to centre with tall architraved and corniced windows and wrought-iron balcony to piano nobile. Outer bays with later tripartite windows at 1st and 2nd floors. Slightly recessed flanking wings; advanced central bays with recessed relieving arches containing single windows at 1st floor and oculi to attic; blind windows to attic of flanking bays. Wing to left with 1928 tripartite windows to centre and left of basement; paired windows to right. Wing to right with original Diocletian window at basement (see Notes). Former gymnasium advanced to outer left with Venetian window.

NE ELEVATION: central relieving arch breaking string course, containing single window; blind tablet above. Pilastered corners. Ashlar steps leading to basement door at lower right.

Predominantly 12-pane glazing in timber sash and case windows; some 6, 8, 9 and 15-pane glazing to rear. Piended grey slate roof with platformed top and lead flashings. Partially concealed painted cast-iron rainwater goods.

INTERIOR: original groin-vaulted lobby with pilasters and frieze decorated with paterae; Ionic pilastered corridor with groin vaulting and decorative plasterwork in soffits of arches. Stone staircase (remodelled by Playfair) with cast-iron balusters. Some timber panelled interior doors and original cornicing.

Statement of Interest

B-Group with Colinton Castle, Dovecot, Ha-Ha, Stables, House at Walled Garden, Walled Garden, Garden Store, Main School Building, Chalmers and Rogerson Houses, Headmaster's House, South Lodge, Gatepiers and Boundary wall. The house was built for Sir William Forbes of Pitsligo who bought the Colinton Castle estate from the Foulis family in 1790. Sir William Forbes (1739-1806) was one of the most important men in eighteenth century Edinburgh. He was an extremely successful banker, becoming a partner of Coutt's bank at the age of 22, and head of the banking firm Forbes, Hunter and Co. twelve years later. He also was an extremely energetic philanthropist, and was actively engaged in the management of almost all the charitable institutions in Edinburgh. In particular, his patronage of the Church of Scotland carried it to a position of importance and influence that it had not known since the disestablishment of 1689. Originally Forbes considered altering and extending Colinton castle and had plans drawn up by local architect and mason John Fraser. He then decided to build a new house, and asked a number of architects to draw up plans. The chosen scheme was a design by Thomas Harrison, and adapted by Richard Crichton. In 1801, Forbes described the plan in a letter to his son, "an excellent plan, chiefly Mr Harrison's only somewhat more expensive than I reckoned on." The various tradesmen involved in the building of the house are listed in Buildings Of Scotland. The house was not complete by Forbes death, and passed on to his son, also called Sir William, who was married to the sweetheart of Sir Walter Scott. After his death in 1828 it became the retirement residence of Lord Dunfermline, who had been speaker in the House of Commons, and commissioned the alterations by Playfair. His son Ralph married a daughter of the banking family Trotter who in turn sold the estate to the school. The house was adapted in 1928 to form the science block of the newly constructed school. Numerous alterations were carried out by Walker Todd, which included bringing forward the SE (front) walls of the wings and altering the fenestration at the rear. He also demolished part of the SW wing in order to make way for the new gymnasium (now the library), made a number of minor interior alterations, and removed most of the chimney stacks.

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