Description

1868, possibly incorporating some earlier fabric (see Notes). Group of former brewery buildings on large site situated between Holyrood Road and Sugarhouse Close, off Canongate. Converted to housing (2014). Squared rubble with tooled ashlar margins; painted rubble with contrasting painted margins to buildings at Sugarhouse Close.

Predominantly 12-pane timber sash and case windows on office buildings. Graded grey slates.

MALTBARN: (NT 26464 73676) tall, rectangular-plan, multi-bay, 3-storey former barn with regular, small rectangular openings to east and west elevations (currently infilled, 2007). Wide, shallow-pitch gable facing south (Holyrood Road). Raised cills and skews.

INTERIOR: (seen 2007). Altered.

KILNS: (NT 26448 73686) adjoin to north of Maltbarn. Pair of single-story, piended- roof ranges, that to south with large apex timber ventilator.

BREWHOUSES: (NT 26460 73694) adjoining kilns to east. Pair of gabled former brewhouses. Boarded timber doors to south.

To east: 4-storey with ridge ventilators. Interior with timber floors, some flanged iron columns. Some internal machinery, including metal hopper and some pulley equipment.

Building to west, comprehensively altered to form offices.

SUGARHOUSE CLOSE: (NT 26414 73743) 3-storey, L-plan former flats. External stair leads to 4-panel timber entrance door with fanlight above at 1st storey. Boarded timber entrance doors to Sugarhouse Close. Cast-iron rain water goods.

INTERIOR: (seen 207). Some 6-panel timber doors and simple cornicing.

OFFICE BUILDING: (NT 26433 73751). 2-storey former office building with single storey store adjoining to south. Raised skews. Interior (seen 2007) comprehensively altered.

BOUNDARY WALL: to north, south and west. Rubble with flat coping. To north, flat entrance arch from Sugarhouse Close. Further entrance opening to south.

Statement of Interest

This is one of the few remaining brewery sites in Edinburgh. The buildings, together with the boundary wall and entrance archway from Sugarhouse Close, form an impressive group. Situated in what was once the heartland of the brewing industry in the city, Holyrood Brewery is an important reminder of the area's industrial past. The essential components of a brewery have been retained, including the kilns, maltbarn, brewhouses and offices and they form a distinctive feature in the streetscape of the area. Beer was an important drink for many of Edinburgh's residents in the 19th century as clean drinking water was not available. The brewery was built in 1868 on the site of a former sugar refinery and it is possible that some of the buildings here incorporate fabric from the earlier refinery. The Commercial Brewery was founded in 1868 and was run by Morison & Thomson until 1877 when it was taken over by J & J Morison. In 1946 it was taken over by Scottish Brewers Ltd, Edinburgh and ceased to brew shortly afterwards.

List description revised as part of Edinburgh Holyrood Ward resurvey 2007-08. Category changed from B to C(S).

Statutory address amended in 2015 to reflect change to housing. Previously listed as '160 Canongate and Sugarhouse Close, Former Holyrood Brewery Including Malt Barn, Kilns, Brewhouse, Offices and Boundary Wall'.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata IDs Q56631967 Q56631968

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.

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