Whitehouse, 124 Whitehouse Road, Edinburgh, Edinburgh, Edinburgh

Description

Circa 1615 with later additions 18th century; alterations and additions MacGibbon and Ross, 1895 - 1901. 2-storey with attic, L-plan tower house with 3-storey circular stair tower in re-entrant angle; irregular 6-bay front; a-symmetrical at rear. Whitewashed harl; polished yellow sandstone dressings. Raised base course; polished string courses surround tower; moulded eaves course. Polished surrounds to openings (some droved); deep corbelling at rear; crowstepped gables; attic windows breaking eaves. Baluster sundial, 1732, at rear; single storey crowstepped outbuilding to N; rubble sandstone pillar to NE.

E (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: circular entrance tower comprising boarded timber door at ground in central re-entrant angle; glazed panel with iron grille; roll-moulded surround; blank sandstone panel inset within architraved surround above; flanking single windows. Single windows at 1st and 2nd floors in central bays. Single windows to all floors in bay to right of entry; crowstepped dormerhead; surmounting ball-finial. "1897" inscribed above single window at ground in bay to outer right; single window above breaks eaves; crowstepped gable; surmounting ball finial. Single window at ground in central bay to left of entry.

N (SIDE) ELEVATION: 3-bay; M-gabled. Single windows at ground in all bays; single windows at 1st floor in bays at centre and outer left; crowstepped gables; surmounting carved finials.

W (SIDE) ELEVATION: 5-bay with half-gabled addition forming L-plan at SW. Single window at ground in bay to outer left; single crowstepped dormerhead above; surmounting finial in shape of horse?s head. Half-glazed boarded timber door at ground in bay to right; tripartite window to right of entry (stone mullions); bipartite dormer aligned above (stone mullion). Single window at ground in re-entrant angle to right; single windows to 1st and 2nd floors in bay to outer right. ADDITION (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: single window at ground in re-entrant angle to left; single windows at ground and 1st floors centred in gable; small single window in bay to outer right.

W (REAR) ELEVATION: a-symmetrical arrangement; projecting single storey addition in bay to outer left. 2-leaf boarded timber door off-set to left of centre; droved surround inscribed "16 DP 15" above. 2-storey circular (stair) tower to left of entry corbelled out at 1st floor; deep geometric detailing; inscribed "1897" below; single windows centred in tower at 1st and 2nd floors. Flat-roofed, 3-light canted window at ground in bay to right of entry; chamfered surrounds; geometric frieze detailing; single windows at 1st and 2nd floors above and penultimate bay to right; ball finials to crowstepped dormerheads. Chamfered 3-light canted windows to both floors in bay to outer right; heavy corbelling to crowstepped gable; surmounting ball finial; blank panel set within architraved surround centred in apex. ADDITION (SIDE) ELEVATION: single window at ground in re-entrant angle to right; architraved panel inscribed "J F M 1901. A A M" in central bay to left. S (GABLE) ELEVATION: chamfered corner with heavy corbelling detail to right; single windows to both floors centred in apex.

Predominantly 12- and 8-pane timber sash and case windows. Graded grey slate roof; crowstepped skews; beak skewputts; conical caps to stair towers; surmounting ball finals. Harled ridge and apex stacks comprising sandstone margins; cornices; various circular cans.

INTERIOR: boarded timber ceilings, skirting boards, timber panelled doors, shutters and stone fireplaces. The drawing room retains its timber panelling, roll-moulded sandstone chimneypiece, dado panelling, segmental-arched recess with raised keystone and timber boarded and compartmental ceiling.

SUNDIAL: 1732, 4ft baluster sandstone sundial at rear with square table 20"x20". Stepped base; projecting cornice; dial set on each face. Circular iron horizontal table-dial inscribed "Mr David Strachan 1732"; triangular iron gnomon 11"x7"; inscribed "1752 M D S".

OUTBUILDING: pitched single storey block running E/W to N of house. Crowstepped gables; tapering sandstone finials surmount each. Single window to S at ground in bay to outer left; single openings to N at ground in 3 bays to right of centre; sliding boarded timber doors to large openings to left. Graded grey slate roof; replacement rainwater goods.

PILLAR: early 18th century square-cut grey rubble sandstone pillar on rough sandstone base; surmounting iron pin; iron chain (neck-piece missing) attached to N face; various indentations in S face.

ARCH: large roll-moulded sandstone depressed-arch set to NW of house comprising architraved surround; raised keystones (symmetrically disposed); engaged roll-moulded piers to outer left and right; flanking scrolled skewputts.

BOUNDARY WALL: bull-faced coping to random rubble grey sandstone wall to Whitehouse Road; obelisk gatepiers flank entry. Low coped harled terrace wall at rear (ball-shaped finials) encloses chequered black and white marble patio.

Statement of Interest

Despite extensive development to the S and W, the Whitehouse retains great architectural significance. Dating from the early 17th century, with later additions by MacGibbon and Ross, it is a fine example of the Scots Baronial in both its original and revival form - compare with Lamb?s House, Leith, circa 1620 (also a Laird?s house) and subsequent works by Mitchell, Burn and Bryce (Kingcausie House, Kincardineshire, 1852 etc). Retaining its crowsteps, carved finials, whitewashed harl, graded grey slate roofs, heavy corbelling and conical-capped stair towers, the house remains relatively intact. It is thought the dial?s stonework was made by Mr David Strachan (a bailie of Leith) soon after he purchased the Whitehouse in 1750 - hence the date "1752" inscribed on the gnomon. The plate, dated 1732, must therefore, have been brought with Strachan from a previous property. The sundial, archway and pillar were previously listed separately.

External Links

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.