Documents

There are no additional online documents for this record.

Summary

Description

Circa 1863. Tower and E range were added to original building sometime before 1880. (when Dean of Guild records begin). Robert Morham, City Architect, added the porch and lodge in 1885. Built as school in Baronial style, now the Royal Bank of Scotland Staff Training Centre. Large 3-storey rectangular block around small central courtyard with round tower and range extending to E. Squared and snecked sandstone rubble with ashlar dressings. Base course; corbel table above 1st floor; stone brackets at eaves; chamfered reveals.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: comprising main 7-bay range with advanced round tower to right, and 3-bay range to outer right.

7-bay range: advanced gabled bay at centre with projecting round-arched entrance porch with hoodmoulding, crowstepped gable and stone finials; round-arched windows to returns; 2-leaf panelled doors in tripartite frame; plate glass fanlight. Tripartite window at 1st floor; pointed-arched window at 2nd floor, breaking eaves in gablehead. Single windows in remaining bays (see glazing notes below).

4-stage round tower: slit windows to stair, bracketted corbel at eaves to 4th stage above; brackettted cornice to conical roof with ball-finial.

3-bay E range: Tudor-arched windows with transom and Tudor-arched tracery to upper panels (grouped 1-4-1) at ground floor, 3 single windows with transoms to 1st floor, that to outer left in corbelled panel; 3 bipartite windows with cross-mullions breaking eaves in gabled dormerheads at 3rd floor, outer bays divided by wallhead stack corbelled on armorial panel. Enclosed staircase (1971) adjoining to outer right.

N (REAR) ELEVATION: comprising main block and E range.

Main Block: 4 windows and secondary entrance at ground floor; 4 single windows at 1st floor; corbelled pepperpot bartizans with lead ball-finials breaking eaves to outer left and right at 2nd floor; 3 timber pedimented dormers and gablehead window.

E range: 4 grouped Tudor-arched windows with details as above at ground floor; 5 single windows at 1st floor; 3 bipartite windows with cross-mullions, breaking eaves in piend-roofed dormerheads with lead finials. Advanced piend-roofed block with single windows at all floors to outer right.

E AND W ELEVATIONS: irregular disposition of predominantly single windows.

Almost entirely reglazed with uPVC frames to new glazing pattern. Grey slate roof; corniced wallhead, gabled and ridge stacks; corbelled gablehead stack to NW corner; corbelled wallhead stack to S elevation of E range; moulded cans; some original rainwater goods including hoppers and decorative brackets.

INTERIOR: stained glass windows to staircase (St John and Florence Nightingale, 1925) and hall (St Columba, 1930), all by Marjorie Kemp; cast-iron balustrade to main staircase; some decorative plaster mouldings remain.

LODGE, 11 Kilgraston Road,: Robert Morham, 1885. Single storey L-plan lodge built into quadrant wall in similar materials to main house.

S (entrance) elevation comprising porch with boarded door and timber bargeboards at re-entrant angle; 2 single windows to apsidal living room to outer left.

W (Kilgraston Road) elevation comprising single window breaking eaves to outer left. N elevation comprising single window and blocked secondary entrance.

E elevation comprsing low range of service rooms. uPVC replacement windows. Grey-green slate roof; shouldered and heavily corniced ridge stack; moulded octagonal cans; terracotta ridge tiles and finials.

GATEPIERS AND BOUNDARY WALLS: high coped boundary and mutual walls: 2 panelled gatepiers with plinths and pyramidal coping to N of house on Kilgraston Road; 2 gatepiers with plinths, fluted capitals, and scrolled coping; smaller single gatepiers to pedestrian gateway; modern iron gates.

Outbuildings to N of main house (1908). Steps remaining from formal terraced garden.

Statement of Special Interest

"Esdaile" was founded by the Rev David Esdaile as an educational establishment for the daughters of Ministers of the Church of Scotland and Professors in the Universities of Scotland. The Ministers' Daughters' College seems to have expanded rapidly after its inception. Externally the main house appears to have been little altered since Robert Morham's alterations in 1885, although outbuildings were added.

References

Bibliography

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.