Royal
Incorporation of
Architects in
Scotland

'Westfield' 40 Pentland
Avenue, 'Binley Cottage'
42 Pentland Avenue,
'Acharra' 3 Gillespie
Road, Edinburgh.
Perspective views and
plans. R S Lorimer,
c.1910. (SC732535)

Robert S Lorimer (1884-1929) is one of Scotland's most prolific architects from the late 19th and early 20th century. The Lorimer and Matthew Collection held by the NMRS and catalogued as part of SAPPP spans the period from the 1890s through to the 1960s. This date range includes the subsequent practices that emerged from the original firm of R S Lorimer. In 1927 Lorimer took John F Matthew as partner and it is through the Matthew family that the firms legacy continued in practice, and survives in record through the deposit of the Collection in 1968 by John Matthew's son, Stuart Matthew, with further deposits made in subsequent decades. The Collection is a unique survival of papers from an architectural practice of such stature and significance in Scotland and is one of the most important architectural collections held by RCAHMS. The Collection contains approx. 36,000 drawings, photographs and manuscripts and is a rare opportunity to view the work, through initial freehand sketches to highly worked plans and elevations, of one of Scotland's greatest architects. Lorimer's principal projects include the Thistle Chapel 1911, for which he received a knighthood, the Scottish National War Memorial c.1923, Rowallan 1902, Ardkinglas 1906, Formakin 1908, the extensive alterations to Dunderave 1911 and Dunrobin Castle 1911-19 and Lympne Castle 1920.

The Collection has a predictably wide variety of project types, this exhibition will cover only the domestic commissions however, giving just a flavour of the many projects represented in the Collection. R S Lorimer began his own practice in 1893 at 49 Queen Street, Edinburgh. At the start of his career, he embarked on a series of small domestic dwellings in Edinburgh's residential suburb, Colinton. These 'Colinton Cottages' were composed using traditional construction methods and materials. Along with the house design came a package of garden layout and interior design, including furniture, contributing to the overall concept.

Examples of his cottages can be seen in proposals for Miss Guthrie Wright and Major Mears for Westfield Cottage, Binlay Cottage and Acharra, as well as in his scheme for Sheildaig, 24 Hermitage Drive c.1906. By 1900, eight cottages had been built and four were in construction, by 1901 however, the impetus of the Arts and Crafts cottage movement, of which these designs could be considered part, was waning.

The images below show a small selection of the photographs and drawings from the Lorimer Collection which can be consulted in the public search room from Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 4:30pm. Click on an image to view the full-size version. Prints of all images can be obtained by contacting RCAHMS directly at info@rcahms.gov.uk quoting the name of the site or building, the SC number, the size and nature of each image required. A price list of services for photographs, digital images and other copies can be found under the price list page.

Throughout his career, Lorimer was responsible for four new build country houses: Brackenburgh 1901-3, Rowallan 1902, Ardkinglas 1906, and Formakin 1908. Ardkinglas is a particularly fine example. Overlooking Loch Fyne, the house was to take full advantage of its magnificent setting. Construction was difficult due to its remote site; the two hundred labourers required were housed in a temporary camp erected on site; a pier was built to allow the shipment of materials; the site was without electricity, so a hydro electric power scheme was devised by harnessing the water power from a dam and building a generating station. The house was a critical success and remains a fine example of a Scots Baronial country house.

By the early part of the 20th century, country house commissions had become the mainstay of Lorimer's work, but with the outbreak of World War I large scale new build projects such as Ardkinglas were less common and the practice concentrated more on restoration projects. Robert Lorimer had gained a reputation as one of Scotland's leading restoration architects, having received a number of prestigious commissions such as Earlshall 1899, Hill of Tarvit 1905, Marchmont House 1913-15, and Dunrobin Castle 1919 which was almost entirely rebuilt following a fire in 1915.

Balmanno Castle 1916, is representative of the work undertaken by the practice at this time. W A Miller, a Glaswegian shipping merchant, commissioned Lorimer to restore, remodel and furnish his 16th century tower house including the gardens. The Lorimer and Matthew Collection contains around 86 drawings and historical photographs detailing the alterations made to the house and garden which include a new service wing and the removal of various 18th century additions. The garden design was equally important to the scheme, and together with the house, create a unified whole. This is also exemplified in the above images of Earlshall.

Lorimer stated that he disliked the 'naked tameness of a large house, placed by itself in the midst of a lawn' and that a garden is its 'owner's calendar by which he will remember all events of his years by the trees and plants which were in bloom when they happened'. 1 The garden at Balmanno Castle is one of Lorimer's most elaborate compartmented garden design. He created interlocking high walled courtyard gardens: a rose garden, sundial garden, kitchen garden, French style oak trellises and orchard. All four corners of the garden walls are linked together by the main house, potting house, lodge and gazebo. The North, South and East side of Balmanno is enclosed by the gardens with lawns spanning across its West side.

Robert Lorimer gained much of his esteemed reputation through his domestic commissions. It is hoped that this necessarily concise overview has provided an insight into the wealth of material available for study through the Lorimer and Matthew Collection.