Edinburgh, Gilmerton, The Drum
Country House (18th Century)
Site Name Edinburgh, Gilmerton, The Drum
Classification Country House (18th Century)
Alternative Name(s) Drum House; Drum House Estate; Drum House Policies; Somerville House
Canmore ID 53463
Site Number NT36NW 35
NGR NT 30071 68943
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/53463
- Council Edinburgh, City Of
- Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District City Of Edinburgh
- Former County Midlothian
NT36NW 35.00 30071 68943
(NT 3006 6893) Drum (NAT)
OS 6" map (1968)
In 1584, Lord Somerville built a mansion house at Drum, the builder being John Milne, the King's Master Mason. It was twice burnt and rebuilt before 1644.
The present house of Drum was built shortly after the first quarter of the 18th c, the designer being William Adam. Its outlying W wing incorporates part of the older house, masked and re-faced to harmonise with the now mansion, and traceable only on the basement floor. There is a late 17th c baluster-type sundial, 3'8" high, in front of the S steps.
An armorial panel, brought from Cowthally Castle, Lanarkshire, in 1694 is inserted in the garden wall W of the house, above the entrance.
RCAHMS 1929, visited 1921; T Whyte 1792
Description correct.
Visited by OS (BS) 31 October 1975
NT36NW 35.00 30071 68943
NT36NW 35.01 30116 68790 Stables
NT36NW 35.02 30121 68708 Drum Farm, Cottage
NT36NW 35.03 30097 68756 Mercat Cross
NT36NW 35.04 cancelled site (wrong mapsheet, see NT26NE 265 below)
NT36NW 35.05 30608 69252 East Lodges, NW Lodge
NT36NW 35.06 30634 68220 East Lodges, SE Lodge
NT36NW 35.07 30034 68875 Sundial
NT36NW 35.08 30114 68714 Drum Farm, Dovecot
NT36NW 35.09 30103 68724 Drum Farm, Cottage
NT36NW 35.10 30098 68732 Drum Farm, Cottage
NT36NW 35.11 30091 68743 Drum Farm, Range
NT36NW 35.12 30128 68770 Drum Farm, Gamekeeper's Cottage
NT36NW 35.13 30127 68750 Drum Farm, Screen wall
NT36NW 35.14 30136 68738 Drum Farm, Animal Pens
NT26NE 88 29727 69145 North Gate-piers
NT26NE 265 29841 68836 Walled Garden
NT26NE 271 29921 68891 Gardeners' Cottages
nT26NE 272 29715 68422 West Lodge
NT36NW 48 3017 6883 Mercat Cross
NT36NW 121 30084 69053 Ice-houses
NT36NW 184 30291 69374 Drumbank
ARCHITECT: William Adam 1726-1734
John Mylne 1584-1585
NMRS REFERENCE
Print Room
Edinburgh, The Drum
2 details of plasterwork (1 duplicated in separate bound folder)
W Schomberg Scott Photograph Collection
Acc No 1997/39
REFERENCE
SCOTTISH RECORD OFFICE
Drawings are ready for Lord Somerville. Letter from William Adam, architect to Sir John Clerk.
Mr Calderwood to begin work there.
1726 and 1727 GD 18/4729/2 and 4
[Cross ref DG 18/4728/10]
William Adam, architect, mentions in a letter to Sir John Clerk that he had hoped Lord Somerville would 'delay his dining room a little, seeing the rest of the house would not be soon ready ... but my Lady pressed asking finished'.
172[5?] GD 18/4728/10
[The Drum] [Cross ref. GD 18/4729/2 and 4]
REFERENCE
SMT Magazine, September 1950 - article and photographs
From NMRS Architecture Catalogue Slip:
'EEC Jan 34d 1820 Note of sale of Drum repeated later'
Photographic Survey (1955)
Photographic survey by the Scottish National Buildings Record in 1955.
