The Georgian House

The Georgian era produced some of Scotland’s most distinctive architecture. In the late 1700s, this grand townhouse was at the heart of Edinburgh’s New Town development. The house was designed by acclaimed architect Robert Adam and was a true statement of luxury in an era of enlightenment, for those who could afford it.

It cost the first owner John Lamont (18th Chief of the Clan Lamont) £1,800 in 1796. The house has been magnificently restored to show a typical Edinburgh New Town house of the late 18th and early 19th century. The fine collections of period furniture, porcelain, silver and glass reflect the Lamonts’ lifestyle, including lavish entertainment for guests, as well as the social and economic context of the time.

Lamont also employed numerous servants. The kitchen and servants’ room give a glimpse of the arduous ‘below stairs’ life of the servants, who made the Lamonts’ elegant lifestyle possible.

John Lamont died in 1816 in financial difficulties. His son, also John, sold the house for £3,000 a year later to Catherine Farquharson of Invercauld.

New for 2022: Don’t miss our special exhibition Music and Migration in Georgian Edinburgh: The Story of Felix Yaniewicz, running from late June to late October. See our Things To Do page for more details or take a look at the exhibition website.