Description

William Adam, 1725. 2-storey and raised basement, double-pile, rectangular-plan with projecting entrance block, classical house, addition of service wing and interior alterations by Alexander Laing in 1787, William Burn, 1830 and Brown and Wardrop, 1851. Later additions 20th century additions for hotel use (not included in the listing). Harled on E front with yellow sandstone ashlar dressings; coursed rubble sandstone with yellow sandstone dressings on W front. Projecting base course; deep cornice; balustrade; urns; string courses; quoins.

E (GARDEN) ELEVATION: Adam 1725, 7-bay symmetrical main block with lower 3-bay block to right and single storey, 11-bay arcaded modern addition to N. 3-bay entrance block recessed at centre; door at centre of principal floor; elaborate segmental-headed doorpiece (now glazed as window); fluted consoles support heraldic cartouche and lions holding armorial escutcheons interrupting string course. Door reached by curved stone perron stair with balustrade of stone and elaborate wrought-iron. Stone bench. Arched area below stair filled by glazed door; advanced heraldic keystone above door; inscribed BCD DEM 1725. Windows regularly disposed at basement and 1st floor level. 2 bays to right and left advanced; windows symmetrically disposed, those at ground level smaller. 3-bay earlier 19th century block, probably by Burn, to right; door at principal floor to outer right reached by forestair with fine wrought-iron railings; 4-panelled door with large 6-pane fanlight; windows regularly disposed to left and at 1st floor; centre window of 1st floor blind. Full-height arches at ground level in 2 bays to left of forestair; windows set within. Single storey, 11-bay arcaded block to right; arches glazed and keystoned; panelled attic parapet above. Modern build further to right; square-plan entrance pend leads to entrance front; smooth render with yellow sandstone dressings; round arch with keystone and niche above; conical roof rises from behind blocking course. Modern apartments and leisure block attached to right in similar style.

W (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: 3-bay projecting entrance block, (Burn, 1830) with octagonal corner tower and Tudor porte-cochere at centre ground. 2 bays recessed to right and left; more recent additions to left foreground. Balustraded Tudor-Gothic porte cochere with 4-centred arch openings; trefoil motifs in squinches; armorial plaque in centre of balustrade; tripartite inner door, centre door with side lights. Segmental-headed window (formerly main door) at centre of principal floor; cornice supports elaborate coat of arms, window directly above at 1st floor. Tower to left and right; blind window at left ground; windows regularly disposed. Towers have mouldings and balustrade as garden elevation with facetted conical roofs. Near-symmetrical 2-bay right return with 2 windows at ground, 1 blind; tripartite window at principal and 2 windows at 1st floor. Recessed block of main house to right; 2 windows at ground; that to right blind; blind window at centre of principal and 1st floor; 2-bay block recessed to left; outer windows blind.

S ELEVATION: near-symmetrical 6-bay block with coursed ashlar parapet; taller windows at basement centre bays (12-pane); flanked by smaller windows; those to outer right 24-pane glazing, those to outer left 16-pane. Evidence of blocked opening at basement level. Windows symmetrically disposed at principal and 1st floor; blind window at 2nd floor outer right; parapet with urns above.

N ELEVATION: main block of house obscured by recent and late 19th century service extensions. 12-pane sash and case windows; 18-pane sash and case for outer bays of principal floor of main front; 24-pane sash and case for windows on either side of perron stair at ground level; 8-pane sash and case windows for towers and some principal floor windows. Slate piend and platformed roof; broad corniced ridge stacks; full compliment of cans.

INTERIOR: Gothic entrance hall of 1830s with tripartite entrance screens and roll-moulded cornices; W room plain except for sandstone fireplace with ogee opening. Main stair to S of centre leads to vestibule at 1st floor level; Roman Doric screen of fluted columns, dentil cornice, metopes; panelled doors open off vestibule. Vestibule united to upper landing by oval opening with elaborate wrought-iron balustrade lit by cupola, panelled walls and ceiling, dentil cornice.

Statement of Interest

Dalmahoy House is an outstanding example of early classical house design. The house was designed by William Adam for George Dalrymple, youngest son of the Earl of Stair and was finished in 1725 and was first known as 'Belvedere'. The house was sold circa 1750 to the Earl of Morton. The office wing at the N end was designed in 1787 by Alexander Laing who also carried out numerous alterations inside the house, and who was also likely responsible for the Gogar Burn bridge. William Burn made drawings that seem to belong to the alterations of the 1830s and Brown and Wardrop carried out alterations in 1851.

The bridge over the Gogar Burn, the north gates to the A71, the east gates, the stables and St Mary's Episcopal Church Dalmahoy are all listed separately.

Dalmahoy House policies has been the home to the Dalmahoy Golf Club since 1927 (see below) and the first course, today known as the 'Championship East Course, was laid out by James Braid. Dalmahoy Golf Club was formed in 1927 but never formally used Dalmahoy House as its clubhouse.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Dalmahoy at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q5211515

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.

Recommended Books

• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Somerset: South and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  For the Record
• 
  Specifications for Building Conservation: Volume 1: External Structure: Practical Examples v. 2
• 
  Derbyshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Dorset (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)