General Register House Scotland, Architect, Photo, New Town Architecture Picture
Register House Edinburgh : Architecture
Scottish National Archives: New Town building design by Robert Adam Architect
post updated 2 January 2022
Register House Edinburgh
28 November 2006
Scottish Family History Centre
Two of the oldest buildings in Edinburgh to be refurbished in 2007 to create an integrated Scottish Family History Centre – Register House + New Register House
photo © Adrian Welch, 27 Sep 2007
Scottish Family History Centre
Location: Princes St opposite North Bridge/Balmoral Hotel
Date built: 1774
General Register House – housing Scotland’s state records and historical documents – lies at the east end of Princes Street (top of Leith St, opposite Balmoral Hotel).
Main facade photo © Adrian Welch
General Register House architect : Robert Adam
Feb 2005 Update
HM General Register House National Archives for Scotland is developing a
£5m Scottish family history centre at Register House, Princes Street, Edinburgh. The architects are Gray Marshall & Associates who have worked extensively on the building’s refurbishment.
Photograph of the General Register House main facade, facing south:
Main facade photo © Adrian Welch, 23 February 2007
General Register House – Description
The building is on axis with the North Bridge thus viewable from the Royal Mile and (just) from the Festival Theatre beyond making one of Edinburgh’s great formal vistas.
General Register House was designed by Robert Adam whilst living in England. Adam’s brothers, James & John Adam assisted Robert on the designs and supervised construction of the building, from 1774 to 1786. The building includes a shallow central dome and features in the small square onto Princes Street a rather wooden sculpture of a rider on a horse called Copenhagen. The Family History Centre was refurbished in 2003-04.
Adjacent buildings to the General Register House include:
Balmoral Hotel
image © Adrian Welch
St James Centre
photo © Adrian Welch
Harvey Nichols Edinburgh
photograph from store PR
Buildings close by:
Waverley Station
photograph © Adrian Welch
Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh
This historic structure sits at the far eastern end of Princes Street
General Register House context – Edinburgh New Town
Comments / photos for the General Register House Edinburgh Architecture design by Robert Adam Architect page welcome