Edinburgh, Ellersly Road, Wester Lea, Stable Courtyard Building

NT 22183 73308 A historic building survey was carried out, 4–10 August 2016, of Westerlea House and its related buildings prior to their partial demolition and renovation. Westerlea House and its ancillary buildings, which include a chalet, gardeners’ buildings and stable block, were

constructed between 1860 and 1869 to a design by Campbell Douglas and J J Stevenson. The layout of the buildings did not change throughout the 19th century, although in 1913, the rear gardens were re-designed by Robert Lorimer. After the Second World War, the house and grounds were bought by the British Red Cross and additional buildings were constructed in the 1950s–1990s to accommodate the care of special needs children and young adults, and it acts today as the headquarters for Capability Scotland.

Westerlea House has gone through some minor development and changes to cater for its new function in the late 20th/early 21st century, although many original features still survive including cornices, fireplaces and the attractive leaded casement windows in keeping with the Jacobean style of the architecture of the building.

All of the later 1950s–1990s buildings will be demolished together with the 1860s gardeners’ buildings and the western modern extension to Westerlea House. The remaining buildings (Westerlea House, the Stables and the Chalet) will be retained and renovated to form part of a new development with new builds to the E of the site after demolition.

Archive: NRHE (intended)

Funder: S1 Developments

Diana Sproat – AOC Archaeology Group

(Source: DES, Volume 17)