With royal approval
City country house was once envied by a Queen writes Dean Herbert
IT once reputedly drew the envy of Queen Victoria and had a close brush with a German Zeppelin during the First World War. But now house hunters can make their own history at the former Donaldson’s Hospital in Edinburgh by snapping up this opulent apartment.
The magnificent building’s days as a school and hospital for deaf children are long in the past and it now sits like a country manor transplanted within walking distance of the city centre.
Set in 16 acres and boasting its own private courtyard, Flat 57, 1 Donaldson Drive is about five minutes from Haymarket Station on foot and a 20-minute stroll to Princes Street.
The ground floor two-bedroom apartment has a spacious double-height sitting room and dining area, a fully fitted kitchen and an en-suite bathroom and dressing room off the master bedroom.
Buyers can also enjoy a concierge service, the use of communal entertaining areas within the building, two underground car parking spaces and secure storage space in the basement. Completed in 1850, the building was the creation of celebrate architect William Henry Playfair.
The hospital was founded by the bequest of James Donaldson, an Edinburgh publisher who died 20 years earlier. At its opening in 1850 by Queen Victoria, it was rumoured she was so impressed that she offered to swap the Palace of Holyroodhouse for Donaldson’s.
The school admitted its first pupils the following year, and later focused on teaching and providing specialist medical treatment to deaf children.
The good work continued, interrupted briefly by a bomb dropped during the Zeppelin attack of April 1916, in which much of the building’s original glasswork was blown out.
In 2008, the school relocated to a new campus in the city and the building was converted into apartments. No new developments on the site were ever permitted by the governors, meaning that the views over the rolling lawns and towards the city beyond remain unbroken.
Estate agent Simpson & Marwick describes the property as ‘bright and spacious accommodation which has been finished to an exacting standard throughout, combining beautiful original features with high-quality fixtures and fittings’. It adds: ‘There is easy access to the Water of Leith walkway and cycle path, whilst the open spaces of the Royal Botanic Garden and Inverleith Park are also within walking distance.
‘Haymarket rail station and tram stop are extremely close by and regular public transport provides swift access in and around the city.
‘By car, main roads connect quickly to the City Bypass, Edinburgh International Airport, the Queensferry Crossing and central motorway network.’
Big city life with the peace of a country house? This place offers both.
■ Fixed price £799,999. Contact Karen Fleming at Simpson & Marwick on 0131 291 0006 or email Karen.Fleming@simpsonmarwick.com.