12 High Street is an elegant, palazzo-style building designed by prominent Edinburgh architect John Dick Peddie (1824-91). It was built for the Royal Bank of Scotland in 1857, as part of a programme to establish a nationwide branch network between 1854 and 1857. Peddie was responsible for the design of almost every new branch during this period, all in a stylish Palazzo form, having secured the bank’s business through his father-in-law.
This bank-building programme helped to establish his reputation as one of the foremost architects of his generation, his monogram appearing prominently on most of the front elevations – as it does here, on the top left quoin stone, balanced by the date, 1857, which is inscribed on the top right quoin stone. The mason responsible for the fine stonework was Alexander Pirnie (1825-79). Pirnie was Edinburgh-born and was apprenticed to a stonemason in Kirkliston in 1841, but settled in Hawick after a brief return to central Edinburgh in the early 1850s, and spent the rest of his life there, living in Wilton. The black slate cladding at ground floor was probably part of a 1920s or 1930s refit.
This building was granted B listed status in 1977. Mr McKay later took on the building and upgraded all electrics and heating then registered it as a house. In recent years the building was refurbished by Donna, an ex-journalist who had a passion for refurbishing old buildings. The Bank Guest House now offers Victorian grandeur with modern contemporary design. Some finely preserved details include wooden shutters on the windows and a beautiful wooden staircase leading to the old clerks office at the top of the building.
SHARE THIS STORY: