Detail of plaque on corner of 55 Canongate, Edinburgh.

Description Detail of plaque on corner of 55 Canongate, Edinburgh.

Date 27/5/2014

Collection Records of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), Edinbu

Catalogue Number DP 190203

Category On-line Digital Images

Scope and Content This shows a plaque on the front elevation of the Scottish Veterans' Residences at 57-61 Canongate, Edinburgh. This former townhouse forms just one part of the residences. To the right is the entrance into a courtyard enclosed by these tenements on the south, a single-storeyed hall on the west, Callander House and Whitefoord House on the north and a much later addition from 1981, Kenneth Hill House, on the east. This plaque provides a historical note about the site, which reads: 'Whitefoord House (within Gaklloway's Entry) occupies the site of the Earl of Winton's town mansion better know as My Lord Seytoun's Lugeing in the Canongate. See Scott's "Abbot" Vol.1 Chap.XVIII'. This complex grew up with the building of the adjoining townhouses of Whitefoord House in 1768-70 by architect Robert Mylne (1733-1811) for Sir John Whitefoord of Blairgunan and Ballochmyle, and Callander House c.1770 for Sir John Callander of Craigforth. The Canongate was popular with many wealthier residents, with the likes of Queensberry House, Huntly House, Moray House and Acheson House all built as the town residences for the gentry of Scotland to be near Royalty based at Holyrood Palace. The whole complex is white-harled, and retain their traditional timber-framed, multi-paned, sash and case windows throughout, maintaining the traditional vernacular appearance of the buildings. In 1910, the Scottish Veterans' Residences was founded by Charles Pelham Burn and Chilton Lind Addison Smith to provide supported accommodation for ex-servicemen and women. Whitefoord House was the first residence which opened in 1911. In 1926 the first Lady Haig's Poppy factory was established in one of the rooms in the house.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/1427912

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap