Head of house
These former school buildings are set to make superb city homes says
EDINBURGH Academicians in the last century were a lucky bunch; the old boarding houses of the school are beautiful landmark buildings with incomparable views of the Edinburgh skyline.
Built in 1899 the six handsome semi detached villas in Inverleith were each designed to house a group of schoolboys and their house master, but the buildings have undergone radical changes in the last few decades, not always for the better. However, the current plans look like safeguarding them for another century.
In 1965 rather unprepossessing link buildings were constructed by the school to join the six houses up and create one continuous building. It may have been practical, but it didn’t enhance their looks.
In the 1990s, with the decline of the demand for boarding accommodation, the row of buildings were converted to house nursery classes and after school activities before being sold off more recently to residential developers.
Edinburgh architect Lorn Macneal first worked with the houses when they were owned by the school, converting the residential accommodation in the 1990s. Since being sold the houses have lay dormant as the initial purchasers, Heritors, fell victim to the economic downturn but Macneal’s company Playfair Property has since purchased the row of houses along with developers Queensberry Cruden. Under their plans, the buildings’ new incarnation as upmarket homes is already well underway. The ugly 1960s link buildings have been demolished, but their existence has al- lowed planning permission for new townhouses as infill meaning the row, when complete, will marry the best of Victorian and 21st century architecture.
Queensberry are converting one of the pairs of semi detached period villas, Mackenzie House, into three flats and a townhouse, flanked by four storey new builds comprising duplex apartments. The properties will be marketed through Savills at a starting price of £900,000.
For the other two sets of villas, Jeffrey House and Scott House, Lorn Macneal has been working with individual clients to create four bespoke town houses. He says “Scott House had one half sold by the administrators three years ago to my clients. We refurbished and extended their house to make a stunning home.” After completing this first project he has since worked his way through the other properties gaining planning permission for the new build townhouses also. This week the last of the refurbished period homes is being offered to the market.
Macneal says “The Kinnear Road houses are ideal subjects for converting into large family homes, particularly when you compare them with what is available elsewhere in the city. For the same price in the New Town, for instance, you will get a townhouse, but it will be over five floors probably with North facing gardens down at subbasement level and no parking.”
In comparison, he says, the Kinnear Road homes will be set over three floors with the bit open plan living kitchen designed to open up to the large south facing garden. They also each have parking for two cars and are set in a quiet cul de sac.
Macneal says “Because we are working with the clients to create a practical layout, they will function really well as modern homes. And of course they have the finest view of Edinburgh’s skyline.”
Scott House East, which is the last available property, will have a large triple aspect kitchen with bow window, open plan to the family room and dining area, all with access to the terrace and garden. A separate playroom and utility makes the whole floor a practical family space. On the first floor there is a grand drawing room, again with bow window, and the master bedroom suite with dressing room and bathroom runs the length of the house. A second guest suite is at this level while four more bedrooms and two bathrooms are on the top floor.
A stone’s throw from Fettes and, of course the Edinburgh Academy and its prep school, the homes here are aimed at families but Macneal will work with the buyer to create bespoke interiors to their exact specification. The building will be totally refurbished with a new roof and repaired stonework. All consents are already in place and entry will be by April 2015.
It is obviously a project that Macneal believes in, so much so that one of the newbuild properties being constructed in between the period properties will become his family home.
Scott House East is being offered for a completed price of £2.1m through Savills.