Publication Account

Date 1951

Event ID 1097205

Category Descriptive Accounts

Type Publication Account

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/event/1097205

RCAHMS County Inventory: The City of Edinburgh

88. Croft-an-Righ, Holyrood.

This pseudo Gaelicname, meaning "the king's field," is applied to a little countrified mansion, standing immediately outside the N. garden of Holyroodhouse, which dates, to judge by its architectural detail, from the 16th century but which was extensively remodelled in the century following. The house is popularly associated with the Regent Moray, Queen Mary's half-brother, who was assassinated at Linlithgow on January 23rd, 1569-70, a date which seems too early for any part of the present fabric. Sir Daniel Wilson, however, has pointed out (1) that it answers generally to the description of a house, sometime the property of Lord Elphinstone, which William Graham, Earl of Airth, bought from the Earl of Linlithgow. Within two years of the sale that house took fire and was "totallie burned"; and this may explain the traces of rebuilding that are so evident here.

The house was reconditioned some years ago by H.M. Office of Works and is to-day subdivided into two dwellings, occupied by gardeners of the Palace of Holyroodhouse. Facing a lane which originally gave access to the Abbey churchyard but which now leads to the King's Park, it is L-shaped on plan with the re-entrant angle facing S. The main block contains three storeys and the wing four. The top floor of the former being lower than that of the latter, it was originally lit by dormers; but the wall-heads have been raised throughout, those of the wing sufficiently to include an additional storey, which is lit by dormers. Gordon of Rothiemay's drawing, however, seems to indicate a T-shaped layout, in which a lofty main block, recognisable as the existing wing, faces the street, while a low extension occupies the position of the present main block. If this view is an accurate representation, it follows that the rebuilding took place after 1647. The masonry is rubble, once harled, with chamfered and rounded dressings. Turrets with conical roofs project from the S. corners, and all three have been heightened and re-roofed. Where not entirely modern, the windows with few exceptions date only from the 17thcentury; and at this same time the upper part of all three gables was reconstructed.

The lower part of the W. gable has always been recessed at both corners beneath a simple corbel. In the S. recess there seems to be a built-up doorway, intended to give access to the basement of the main block. Two built-up doorways are seen side by side in the wall of the wing facing the courtyard. While the one to the S. gave access to the basement of the wing, the other opened at the foot of a narrow scale-and-platt stair which still rises to the top floor; the lower end of the stair has, however, been closed off and diverted to a modern forestair on the street, for the purpose of shutting off the upper tenant from his neighbour. There is nothing of interest in the basement; it is not vaulted and its original arrangement is uncertain. There can have been only one apartment at this level in the wing, but the main block may have been, and probably was, subdivided. On the first floor, however, it is certain that there was no more than a single room in either division. The one in the main block which, before alteration, measured about 37 ft. by 17 ft., has been divided up, and its fine enriched ceiling, which is of early 17th century date, now covers two rooms and a lobby. The ceiling is divided by moulded ribs into square and circled compartments, each enriched with devices in relief such as lion and human masks, terminal figures, lions rampant, fleurs-de-lys, grape bunches, acorn slips, a griffon rampant and a male figure clad only in breeches and hose. The original bolection-moulded fireplace can still be seen in the E. gable. The wing chamber, too, has been subdivided and wholly modernised. The only feature of interest in the upper storeys is another bolection-moulded fireplace in the wing chamber of the second floor.

On the opposite side of the street is an entrance to part of the Palace garden, and above this has been set a large pediment of pierced strap -work containing a cross in its upper part. This pediment is quite out of scale with its surroundings and has presumably been brought from elsewhere. The style is that of the time of Charles I, but the stone is so little decayed that it may be of considerably later date.

RCAHMS 1951, visited c.1941

(1) Memorials, ii, p. 89.