Listed Building

The only legal part of the listing under the Planning (Listing Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997 is the address/name of site. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing – see 'About Listed Buildings' below for more information. The further details below the 'Address/Name of Site' are provided for information purposes only.

Address/Name of Site

124 WHITEHOUSE ROAD, WHITEHOUSE, INCLUDING SUNDIAL, OUTBUILDING, PILLAR, ARCH AND BOUNDARY WALLLB28128

Status: Designated

Documents

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Summary

Category
B
Date Added
14/12/1970
Local Authority
Edinburgh
Planning Authority
Edinburgh
Burgh
Edinburgh
NGR
NT 18432 75615
Coordinates
318432, 675615

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 Special 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.

References

Bibliography

Appears on J Leslie & Son?s PLAN OF THE ROADS WITHIN AND CONNECTED WITH THE CRAMOND DISTRICT, 1812; Ordnance Survey map, 1895; E MacRae, THE HERITAGE OF GREATER EDINBURGH (1947) p11 and sheet III; A Niven Robertson, "Old Sundials in and near Edinburgh", BOOK OF THE OLD EDINBURGH CLUB (1949) vol 27, p97-110; MacGibbon and Ross, THE CASTELLATED AND DOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE OF SCOTLAND, vol V (reprinted 1971) p494; Gifford, McWilliam and Walker, EDINBURGH (1984) p551; CRAMOND HERITAGE PARK: POLICY REPORT (1985) City of Edinburgh District Council; C McKean, EDINBURGH: AN ILLUSTRATED ARCHITECTURAL GUIDE (1992) p163; J Wood, THE ANTIENT AND MODERN STATE OF THE PARISH OF CRAMOND (reprinted 1994), p61.

About Listed Buildings

Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating sites and places at the national level. These designations are Scheduled monuments, Listed buildings, Inventory of gardens and designed landscapes and Inventory of historic battlefields.

We make recommendations to the Scottish Government about historic marine protected areas, and the Scottish Ministers decide whether to designate.

Listing is the process that identifies, designates and provides statutory protection for buildings of special architectural or historic interest as set out in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

We list buildings which are found to be of special architectural or historic interest using the selection guidance published in Designation Policy and Selection Guidance (2019)

Listed building records provide an indication of the special architectural or historic interest of the listed building which has been identified by its statutory address. The description and additional information provided are supplementary and have no legal weight.

These records are not definitive historical accounts or a complete description of the building(s). If part of a building is not described it does not mean it is not listed. The format of the listed building record has changed over time. Earlier records may be brief and some information will not have been recorded.

The legal part of the listing is the address/name of site which is known as the statutory address. Other than the name or address of a listed building, further details are provided for information purposes only. Historic Environment Scotland does not accept any liability for any loss or damage suffered as a consequence of inaccuracies in the information provided. Addresses and building names may have changed since the date of listing. Even if a number or name is missing from a listing address it will still be listed. Listing covers both the exterior and the interior and any object or structure fixed to the building. Listing also applies to buildings or structures not physically attached but which are part of the curtilage (or land) of the listed building as long as they were erected before 1 July 1948.

While Historic Environment Scotland is responsible for designating listed buildings, the planning authority is responsible for determining what is covered by the listing, including what is listed through curtilage. However, for listed buildings designated or for listings amended from 1 October 2015, legal exclusions to the listing may apply.

If part of a building is not listed, it will say that it is excluded in the statutory address and in the statement of special interest in the listed building record. The statement will use the word 'excluding' and quote the relevant section of the 1997 Act. Some earlier listed building records may use the word 'excluding', but if the Act is not quoted, the record has not been revised to reflect subsequent legislation.

Listed building consent is required for changes to a listed building which affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. The relevant planning authority is the point of contact for applications for listed building consent.

Find out more about listing and our other designations at www.historicenvironment.scot/advice-and-support. You can contact us on 0131 668 8914 or at designations@hes.scot.

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