DUNDAS HOUSE
This building on the east side of
St Andrew’s Square is Dundas House, a Palladian villa
designed by the Swedish- born Scottish architect Sir William
Chambers (1723 – 1796).
Built from 1772 to 1774 as a private mansion for Sir Laurence
Dundas (1712 – 1781) a wealthy entrepreneur and Member
of Parliament for Edinburgh, the site for the building had
originally been planned to be the site of St Andrew’s
Church.
Dundas however scuppered the plans of both
architect James Craig (1774 – 1795) and the city fathers
and purchased the site on which to have his home built.
His luck was not always so fortunate however
as shortly after he took up residence, he almost lost his new
home in a game of cards.
After his death, Dundas’s son Thomas
sold the property to the government and the building became
as Excise Office until it was sold again in 1825 to the Royal
Bank of Scotland, where it served as bank headquarters until
2005.
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