2 Distillery Brae

The Department's description

Exterior description and setting

A long rubble stone building built with slated pitched roof, hipped, one storey at Spencer Road to three storeys at Simpson’s Brae. The structure is approximately 58 metres long by 11 wide with its long side fronting onto Distillery Brae and floors stepped into rising ground. There are no windows in those floors containing the brick vault construction but occasional semi-circular arch doors one each side on the lower ground floor. There is another at next floor level into the upper brick vault part. Some of these doors have been altered to trabeated heads in recent times and others built up. At first floor level there are a series of segmental headed windows on the south west facade from the north west gable to the entrance approximately mid-way up Distillery Brae. At second floor level similar windows occur from the gable almost to the Spencer Road end. At this end near to Spencer Road is entrance to 2nd floor (presently a shirt factory). Between it and Spencer Road another door occurs with display window and occupied by another tenant.

The gable to Simpson’s Brae has centrally placed door, much altered with single built-up windows on either side. Above on each of two floors a large segmental headed window, probably originally hoist doors and on each side single windows similar to those on the south west side. On the north east side there are various shaped windows of differing decades and also a steel fire escape stair. The south east gable to Spencer Road is single storey with a newly constructed single stepped gable with central door with steps within leading up to the attic floor level. To right and left a shuttered goods door and a display window. This is smooth rendered and returns on south west side as far as the factory door. The roof has recently been reslated with asbestos slates with several small rooflights.

The building fronts onto Distillery Brae, a steep cul-de-sac, and is the only building in the street.

Historical information

Built as a bonded store in the late 19th century probably 1880. Additional bonded stores had been built at the corner of Simpsons Brae and Bond’s Hill but these have been demolished and probably were built c1900 and were of brick construction.

The former Waterside distillery was sited on the other side of Distillery Brae (Watt’s, now demolished).

The building was probably built by Watt’s distillery.

After ceasing as a bonded store it became a shirt factory and more recently has been further sub-tenanted.

Criteria for listing: architectural interest

Not listed

Criteria for listing: historic interest

Not listed

Evaluation

An interesting later Victorian bonded store built of stone with fine brick vaulted construction on ground and first floor on a steeply sloping site. An imposing building on a prominent site more so because the former distillery site, later Eaton’s bakery is a cleared site.