Description
Circa 1750, additions by William Burn 1829. 3-storey, 7-bay classical mansion house, with 2-storey wing extending N incorporating earlier house, and 1829 single storey additions at rear forming courtyard. Sandstone ashlar with cream ashlar dressings, rusticated quoins, base course, band course, eaves course and cornice.
W ELEVATION: 3 central bays advanced and closely grouped; broken pediment above with heraldic and ribbon ornament in red sandstone and 3 dies with red decorative urns, possibly reused from earlier build. Advanced pilastered porch at cebtre ground by Burn with entablature and cornice; panelled double doors with diamond-pane strip fanlight. Gibbsian windows flanking at ground. Extended rustication of quoins, band course between ground and principal floor. Consoled balcony with balustrade extending across 3 principal floor windows above. Tall window s to each bay with lugged margins, pulvinated frieze and moulded cornice. Smaller windows to 2nd floor with lugged margins. Flanking recessed bays similarly detailed.
N ELEVATION: 3-storey, 2-bay N elevation of main block to right; roughly squared and coursed rubble with ashlar dressings. Tall windows to ground and principal floors, smaller windows at 2nd floor; raised margins. 2-storey wing adjoining to left, incorporating earlier house. Random rubble with sandstone dressings, 5-bay; 1st and 4th bays advanced and canted, 2 irregular bays between with tall windows. Advanced bay to left 18th century, faced in brick with light render, droved surrounds, ashlar dressings. Ground floor acts as buttress with ashlar cornice; 3 deep set windows. Round-headed window to 1st floor, with impost blocks and keystone. Window to each return with blind bull's eye above. This form mirrored in later canted bay by Burn, 1829, to right insquared and coursed rubble with stugged ashlar surrounds and ashlar quoins; French windows at ground. 2 small pedimented gabled dormers to attic flanking later canted bay. Window to each floor at outer right, wallhead stack to outer left. S ELEVATION: 3-storey, 2-bay main block. Later bowed bay at ground left with French window and windows flanking; balcony with balustrade above. Taller windows to principal floors, 2 small piended roofed dormers to attic. 4-bay single storey service wing recessed and adjoining to right; advanced pedimented gable at centre, with 6 slit openings to slightly lower former stable range flanking at right.
E ELEVATION: irregular openings at rear, single storey 1829 additions froming stone flagged courtyard with former stables and dairy. separate range to E.
Sash and case windows; 12-pane glazing pattern to ground and principal floors , 9-pane to 2nd floor. Iron bars to some ground floor windows at rear.
Grey slates to swept eaves of piend roof. Coped ashlar ridge stacks, some rendered.
INTERIOR: outstanding mid 18th century MUSIC ROOM in N wing incorporating earlier canted bay; probably the former library with unpainted red pine panelling. Excellent detail to doors, shutters and broken pedimented niche. Paired Ionic columns flanking bays and elaborately decorated pilasters. Later ceiling with Roccoco swirls> Dog-legged staircase with naturalistic wrought-iton plant ornamented balusters. Cantilevered spiral service stair to S from ground to 2nd floor with recessed panels to risers and some wooden barley sugar twist balusters. Remainder of understated interior refashioned by Burn. Extensive low ashlar coped garden walls, and bridge over walkway in garden to S with ornamental urns.
S Lodge and Gatepiers listed separately.
Gothick style screen wall between house and home farm survives to W. 8-arched cartshed and granary now converted to housing.
Statement of Special Interest
Probaly a house on the site from an early date; the Gilmerton Baronetcy was created in 1686 (Groome). John Adam has been suggested as architect, as he has been for Touch, Stirlingshire, whihc shares similarities in the pedimented form, and slos incorporates an earlier build. The survival of the unpainted panelling in the Music Room is surprising, as is the brickwork on the exterior of its canted bay.
The use of red sandstone , ornamented in the pedimented and urns rather than the contrasting stone of the dressings also suggests the reuse of decorative work from an earlier house.
The Kinlochs of Gilmerton improved conditions in the nearby village of Athelstaneford, feuing land for building cottages in the late 18th century; they still retain much of their original character.