Rock House, once home to pioneering Scots photographer, up for sale

A house believed to be one of the oldest in Edinburgh's New Town, has gone on sale as a family home.

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The beautiful Rock House. Picture: Knight FrankThe beautiful Rock House. Picture: Knight Frank
The beautiful Rock House. Picture: Knight Frank

Rock House, considered one of the capital’s most intriguing properties, served as the home and studio of photographer Robert Adamson and was made famous when Adamson and artist David Octavius Hill developed the calotype photography process.

Built in the 1750s, the striking house - currently painted a vivid yellow - is perched on Calton Hill, overlooking Edinburgh.

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DOWNLOAD THE SCOTSMAN APP ON ITUNES OR GOOGLE PLAYRestored in 2015 by internationally renowned design duo Jonathan Reed and Graeme Black, the house comes with the converted workshop - on the site of Adamson and Hill’s original photographic studio - which could serve as a separate living space.

The gorgeous interior. Picture: Knight FrankThe gorgeous interior. Picture: Knight Frank
The gorgeous interior. Picture: Knight Frank

The house also comes complete with a large terrace, ornamental pond and idyllic garden.

The historic property will set prospective buyers back £1,795,000 and comes with six bedrooms and five bathrooms over 311 square metres of space.

The one-of-a-kind residence manages to remain private, despite its location - it sits only two minutes from Princes Street - and is accessed by entry through a beautiful wrought-iron gate and set of stone steps.

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The house is entered via a beautiful wrought iron gate. Picture: Knight FrankThe house is entered via a beautiful wrought iron gate. Picture: Knight Frank
The house is entered via a beautiful wrought iron gate. Picture: Knight Frank

Artist Hill and Adamson, who was an engineer, combined their skills and expertise to take a series of iconic pictures capturing everything from ordinary people to well-known Scottish luminaries and architecture in the capital to the fishing community in Newhaven.

Rock House itself continued as a photographic studio for over a century right up until the 1950s, passing through the hands of several prominent photographers including Archibald Burns and Francis Caird Inglis.

Estate agent Edward Douglas-Home of Knight Frank, believes Rock House is unlike any other home currently on the market.

He said: “The combination of the historical connection and the location right in the centre of the city make it a highly appealing.

On top of that, the house been refurbished and lovingly decorated by and internationally renowned interior designer. This is a truly special Edinburgh property.”

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