Governor's House, Edinburgh
| The Governor's House | |
|
Midlothian | |
|---|---|
 Governor's House | |
| Type: | Town house |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NT26097398 |
| Location: | 55°57’11"N, 3°11’7"W |
| City: | Edinburgh |
| History | |
| Address: | 16 Waterloo Place, Edinburgh |
| Built 1815-1817 | |
| Town house | |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | The Crown |
The Governor's House is a building standing on the southernmost spur of the Calton Hill, beside the south-east corner of Old Calton Burial Ground, in Edinburgh, Midlothian. It looks out over the Old Town and in particular over Waverley Station, the Canongate and Holyrood Park to the south.
The building from 1815-17 is all that remains of the Calton Gaol, once the largest prison in Scotland, completed in 1817.[1] The house was designed by Archibald Elliot (1761-1823) who was also responsible for the nearby Waterloo Place and Regent Arch.[2] The House contained the Committee Room used by the Commissioners who governed the prison.
The castellated and turreted form of the Governor's House is similar to James Craig's Old Observatory House on the Calton Hill, but its design was more likely influenced by Robert Adam's older 'Bridewell' of 1791, which stood alongside the newer prison.[3] The Gaol closed in 1927 and, except for the Governor's House, was demolished in the 1937 to make way for St Andrew's House. Some contemporary critics refused to enter the Gothic building in the years following its construction. Tourist guides today insist to visitors that the house is still haunted by the ghosts of former prisoners.
The house is part of a complex serving the functions of the Scottish Executive: until recently it housed the executive's multimedia team and for a time was considered as a possible official home for the First Minister, who resides in Bute House, the latter owned by the National Trust for Scotland. Currently Governor's House serves as the headquarters of the Scottish Fiscal Commission.
Outside links
References
- ↑ Gifford, McWilliam, Walker and Wilson, The Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, Penguin 1984, p.442
- ↑ http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/sc-27646-off-regent-road-former-governor-s-house-i
- ↑ http://www.scran.ac.uk/ada/documents/castle_style/bridewell/bridewell_designs.htm
