Inverleith House is a historic house, now within the
Royal Botanic Garden, in the suburb of
Inverleith
Inverleith (Scottish Gaelic: ''Inbhir Lìte'') is an inner suburb in the north of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the fringes of the central region of the city. Its neighbours include Trinity to the north and the New Town to the south, with Canonmills a ...
, in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...
, Scotland.
History
Inverleith House was designed in 1773 by David Henderson and built for James Rocheid in 1774.
In about 1820 a part of the Inverleith estate was sold to become the Royal Botanic Garden. The house was bought by the city in 1877 together with another part of the estate and, after restoration work following a fire,
[ became the official residence of the Regius Keeper (director) of the Royal Botanic Garden. From 1960 it housed the new ]Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art
The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art is part of the National Galleries of Scotland, which are based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The National Gallery of Modern Art houses the collection of modern and contemporary art dating from about 1900 to th ...
, which in 1984 moved to the building of the former John Watson's Institution
The John Watson's Institution was a school established in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1762. The building was designed in the Greek Revival style in 1825 by architect William Burn. Following the closure of the school, the building was left vacated f ...
on Belford Road.[Fletcher, Harold R., Brown William H, The Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, Edinburgh, 1970, pp 256] On 4 December 1970 the house was listed as a historic building
This list is of heritage registers, inventories of cultural properties, natural and man-made, tangible and intangible, movable and immovable, that are deemed to be of sufficient heritage value to be separately identified and recorded. In many i ...
in category B, with Historic Scotland
Historic Scotland ( gd, Alba Aosmhor) was an executive agency of the Scottish Office and later the Scottish Government from 1991 to 2015, responsible for safeguarding Scotland's built heritage, and promoting its understanding and enjoyment. ...
id 28081.[Inverleith House (gallery of Modern Art) Arboretum Road and Inverleith Row, Edinburgh]
British Listed Buildings. Accessed March 2015. An extension was built in 1974.[ Since 1986 the house has been used as exhibition space by the Royal Botanic Garden.][ Exhibitions of ]botanical
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...
and contemporary art
Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic com ...
are held there.
It was refurbished in 1990 and again in 2004, with support from National Lottery Funds administered by The Scottish Arts Council, which also supports the exhibitions programme.
References
{{Residential buildings in Edinburgh
Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Art museums and galleries in Edinburgh
Contemporary art galleries in Scotland
Category B listed buildings in Edinburgh
Houses in Edinburgh
Houses completed in 1774
1774 establishments in Scotland