Detail of balusters of the entrance hall balcony. Digital image of B 38798.

Description Detail of balusters of the entrance hall balcony. Digital image of B 38798.

Date 1950 to 1960

Collection Papers of George Hay, architect, Edinburgh, Scotland

Catalogue Number SC 774377

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of B 38798

Scope and Content Balcony above upper hall, Prestonfield House, No 71 Priestfield Road, Edinburgh This shows the wooden balustrade on the balcony above the upper hall. The newel post has a recessed panel and is surmounted by half of a wooden ball finial. This area was once the landing of the west stair, and became a balcony when the stair hall was floored over in the early 19th century. The balusters were reused and have since been painted white. Sir James Dick's 444.52kg (70 stone) lead coffin is said to have fallen through this staircase as it was being carried upstairs to his room. He was not dying, but having ordered his coffin to be made had decided to use it as a huge wine cooler! Prestonfield House was rebuilt for Sir James Dick in 1687 by the architect Sir William Bruce (c.1630-1710) after being burnt down during a student riot in 1681. A single-storeyed extension was added in c.1830, and in 1890 architects MacGibbon & Ross added a bathroom extension. Within the grounds is an unusual circular stable block built in 1816 to designs by James Gillespie Graham (1777-1855). The house has been run as a hotel since 1959. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Accession Number 1991/27

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/774377

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap