
The Playfair at Donaldsons
Conversion of historic listed building to create 110 unique apartments.
Client:
City & Country plc
Located to the west of Edinburgh City Centre in the West Coates area, Donaldson’s is set amidst 16 acres of elegant grounds with fantastic panoramic views across Edinburgh and the Pentland Hills.
The development is dominated by The Playfair which was built between 1842 & 1851 and designed in the style of a Jacobean palace by world-famous Scottish architect William Henry Playfair. The quadrangular form and central tower with domed octagonal turrets is arguably one of the most iconic and important structures in Edinburgh.
This Category A listed building has been brought back to life by City & Country, a market leading heritage developer which specialises in the acquisition, restoration and conversion of historic and listed buildings. Donaldson’s now offers a collection of 1, 2 and 3 bedroom apartments ranging from sales prices from £250,000 to £2,500,000.
The design proposals for the project were guided by a specific set of principles, including working with the existing grain of the building to ensure a greater retention of existing fabric and historic features, providing a varied mix of unit types and sizes to appeal to a wide range of potential purchasers, and creating an extensive repair schedule for the restoration of the building.
Q was delighted to have been involved in this project which enables us to draw from our extensive experience of conversion projects, particularly with Listed Buildings and the challenges associated with ensuring historic buildings can be brought up to habitable standards.
Project in Numbers

£15.6M
Project Value

110
No. of Units

Residential Open Market
Project Tenure
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