Dundas Home Farm, South Queensferry
A category B listed steading, this impressive group of buildings was built for James Russell of nearby Dundas Castle. It boasts the customary grandeur of large agricultural developments of the late nineteenth century, epitomised by the plaque over the entrance to the courtyard which records the date of construction, 1881. The surviving buildings take the form of a large enclosed courtyard with long, flanking blocks on two sides.
Today the group sits on high ground overlooking both Forth bridges, a location that combines a rural outlook with good links to the centre of Edinburgh. Simpson & Brown were commissioned to work on the conversion of the redundant buildings by Morrison Restoration and a scheme creating 13 new dwellings was devised that found favour with both developers and the authorities. No two units are alike, the sizes range from 124 to 234 square metres in area, with a combination of single storey, two and three storey homes.
As with similar developments carried out by the firm, existing features have been respectfully treated and new additions, where required, have been executed in a contemporary manner. Extensive use of untreated timber has been made and exposed steel lintels have been included to complement the original cast iron columns that were retained.
