Four of Scotland’s biggest cities differ quite considerably in their architectural histories, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen. DM Design, home design specialists, explores with us the differences and takes us through the influences of political and historic events on the design and construction of these cities.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh’s architectural boom was kick-started by the Union Act of 1707, with most of the houses existing in the form of tall, unsafe tenement buildings to squeeze the population into what was a small space. Some mansions existed and they were located around the countryside with the poor and wealthy living in close proximity.
Edinburgh’s architecture was hugely impacted by the Age of Enlightenment and William Henry Playfair played a huge role, designing some of the most monumental buildings of the city in a classical Greek revival style. The ‘Athens of the North’ reference comes from this.
Aimed mostly at the wealthy, a new town was proposed by the Edinburgh Town Council in 1752, which was to feature designs that incorporated big gardens, shopping centres and green spaces.
Glasgow
560 AD spawned the beginnings of Glasgow as a religious settlement with the creation of the St Mungo church and the Glasgow Cathedral in 1197. The formation of the United Kingdom (the Act of Union) had the largest influence on the architecture of Glasgow city.
Glasgow went through a regeneration after the war, with award-winning architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh playing a huge role in the transformation of the city’s landscape. Some of his work includes the Glasgow Herald Building, Walter Blackie’s ‘The Hill House’ family home and the Glasgow School of Art Commission – all of which depict a historical, ornamental style.
Aberdeen
Many famous buildings and homes in Aberdeen were made from the granite which was extracted from quarries in and around the area. This is why Aberdeen is known as Granite City. Provost Skene’s House (1545), the Tenements around the Rosemount Viaduct (1880s), Aberdeen Music Hall (1820), Rosemount Square, and No 50 Queen’s Road (1886) are some examples of these granite buildings.
Aberdeen also exported granite, making the city the granite capital of the world.
Inverness
Inverness makes for one of the most historic of Scotland’s towns with establishment roots that date as far back as 585 AD. The highlands attracted people who gathered to trade.
King David’s settlement in the 12th century saw the construction of the Inverness Castle. It was changed from a wooden fort to stone.
The longest surviving house in Inverness is the Abertarff House, which was built in 1593. It had corbie steps which are normally associated with other Scottish structures along with Danish medieval churches.
Built around 1726, the Belnain House symbolises the Georgian features which characterised the 1700s, depicting a powerful and imposing appearance with strong symmetry. The old courthouse, jail and tollbooth steeple also feature the Georgian architectural style.
The Inverness Cathedral made for one of the many examples of the architectural change that came with the 1800s. You can see a Gothic Revival style in its design while the Victorian Gothic-style Town House displays gables and finials characteristics (built in 1882).
