Description

John Kinross of Kinross and Tarbolton, 1898. 2-storey and basement, 3-bay, Scottish 17th century villa, sited on steeply falling ground with 1st floor breaking eaves in gabled dormerheads and with single storey and part basement steeply pitched service block to NE. Rake-jointed rubble sandstone with ashlar dressings. Roll-moulded surrounds to windows, stop-chamfered at cills; generously proportioned at ground and the S elevation. Principal gables crowstepped with beak skewputts.

N ELEVATION: recessed gabled bay to left, 2 bays to right. Door at centre with roll-moulded surround and blank heraldic panel above; further, secondary door formed from window on return to left apparently soon after completion; broad window flanking to right and 1st floor windows breaking eaves. Recessed bay with pedimented window at ground; blank panel to gablehead and stack by re-entrant angle. Blank gable of single storey service block to outer right.

S ELEVATION: 3-bay. Full-height advanced bay to right, corbelled to square in gablehead at 1st floor and chamfered to left; French windows to basement with carved keystone; heraldic panel above broad, corniced window to principal floor, flanked by window on splay to left; 1st floor window in gablehead. Centre bay with later, decorative wrought-iron forestair leading to window of principal floor altered to French window; blank panel above 1st floor window. basement window, and larger ground floor window in bay to left in advanced panel with ashlar pentice roof. W ELEVATION: 3-bay, M-gabled bridged at centre with ashlar gablet coping. Gable of service block to outer left, single storey with basement on falling ground; oculus at 1st floor to main gable above. Window to each floor at centre, largest to principal floor. 1st floor window in corbelled ashlar panel to outer right gablehead.

E ELEVATION: paired windows to basement and 3 gabled dormerhead windows at 1st floor to centre and to right with ashlar thistle and fleur-de-lys finials. Small-pane and multi-pane glazing patterns in generous sash and case windows. Westmoreland slates; ashlar ridge tiles. Moulded coping to gablehead and wallhead stacks. Gabled attic dormer with barge boards to N pitch, visible to W.

INTERIOR: fine original decoration retained, joinery work by Scott Morton and Co, cabinetmakers; decorative plasterwork cornices and ceiling details; built-in cupboards and display cabinets including shell-headed niches; well-crafted oak dressers to pantry. Alteration to 1st floor on subdivision reversed when property reunited as one. BOUNDARY WALLS STEPS GATES GATEPIERS & RAILINGS: all original. Saddleback ashlar coping to coursed sandstone rubble boundary walls, 16" in diameter; panelled dies with moulded coping and ball finials; ashlar steps to side elevations. Panelled ashlar corniced piers to railings and gates to entrance elevation; decorative wrought-iron railings by Thomas Hadden.

Statement of Interest

See 33 Mortonhall Road above. During the World War II, No 35 housed the lower ranking soldiers while the officers were billetted in No 33, the choice apparently decided by the level of decoration within the respective properties. The reason for the double entrance to the porch at No 35 is puzzling as it is hard to see why it was deemed necessary. The second entrance (on the return) was inserted soon after the house was built and its surround indicates the size of the window which it replaced. The house was subdivided for several years during this century but the division has subsequently been reversed and little damage done to the interior. A-group with 31 and 33 Mortonhall Road and 14 Oswald Road.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q17569620

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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