Governor's House, Edinburgh
![](../I/m/Governor's_House_Calton_Hill_-_01.jpg)
![](../I/m/Jacobite_broadside_-_Jail_Governors_House.jpg)
The Governor's House is a building situated on the southernmost spur of Calton Hill, beside the south-east corner of Old Calton Burial Ground, in Edinburgh, Scotland. It looks out over Waverley Station, the Canongate and Holyrood Park to the south.
The building from 1815-17 is all that remains of Calton Jail, once the largest prison in Scotland, completed in 1817.[1] It 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.
Its castellated and turreted form is similar to James Craig's Old Observatory House on 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 jail closed in 1927 and, except for the Governor's House, was demolished in 1937 to make way for St Andrew's House.
Until recently the building housed the Scottish Government's multimedia team and for a time was considered as a possible official home for Scotland's First Minister, replacing the National Trust for Scotland owned Bute House.[4]
Currently Governor's House is headquarters building for Scottish Human Rights Commission and Scottish Fiscal Commission.
![Governor's House taken from Old Calton Cemetery.](../I/m/Governor's_House_Calton_Hill.jpg)
References
- ↑ Gifford, McWilliam, Walker and Wilson, The Buildings of Scotland: Edinburgh, Penguin 1984, p.442
- ↑ "Edinburgh, Regent Road, St Andrew's House, Governor's House". British listed buildings. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
- ↑ "Robert Adam Designs for the Edinburgh Bridewell - The Choice of a Style". Scran.ac.uk. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
- ↑ Magnus, Gardham (8 October 2011). "King of the castle - Alex Salmond set to move into tower of power". The Daily Record. Retrieved 8 October 2011.