Panmure House
Bird’s eye view of Edinburgh in 1647, James Gordon
Bird’s eye view of Edinburgh in 1647, James Gordon
What is going on? The historic building in front known as Panmure House is undergoing conservation work. It is one of the few surviving 17th century townhouses within the Canongate and was home to the world-renowned moral philosopher and founder of modern economics Adam Smith. Adam Smith, one of the key figures of the Scottish enlightenment lived in Panmure House from 1778 to 1790. The building also attended to many intellectual giants of the Scottish enlightenment during this period. Smith was the author of “An Inquiry into the nature and causes Bird’s eye view of Edinburgh in 1647, James Gordon Bird’s eye view of Edinburgh in 1647, James Gordon of the wealth of nations” and “The Theory of moral sentiments”. The building itself is one of the few surviving examples of aristocratic residences prior to the Act of Union of 1707, originally the house was entered from the west elevation “Little else is requisite to carry a state to the over a large courtyard in front of the west elevation. The key surviving features are the highest degree of opulence from the lowest building’s three storey, five bay, regularly fenestrated western elevation, the original barbarism, but peace, easy taxes, and a profile of the slate roof, the south facing crow stepped gable, the east west wing and tolerable administration of justice.” the east facing gable. - Adam Smith Panmure House is a Category-A listed building, built in 1691 and is recognized as a building of national importance. The burgh of Canongate was formed in 1140. Either side of the lower, eastern ridge of what is known as the Royal mile was divided into long narrow strips of land or “tofts”. These tofts were all occupied by the end of the 15th century some as forelands and some as backlands. In the 17th century there was a wide scale rebuilding in the Canongate during which most of the areas mansions and fine townhouses were built, usually towards the back of the tofts. The burgh of Canongate officially became a part of the city of Edinburgh in 1856.
Bird’s eye view of Edinburgh in 1647, James Gordon
View: Bird's eye view of Edinburgh in 1647 / by James Go... - Town Plans / Views, 1580-1919 - National Library of Scotland http://maps.nls.uk/view/102190447
Parliament close and Public Charachters of Edinburgh 50 years since John Kay (1742-1826)
The meeting of Robert Burn and Adam Smith at Sciennes House
The Gardens around Panmure house typical of Canongate