Bute House, Official residence in Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, Scotland
Bute House is a Georgian townhouse on the north side of Charlotte Square, designed by architect Robert Adam with balanced window fronts and an ornately carved doorway. The three floors display the typical symmetry of the late 18th century, with a sandstone facade and wrought-iron railings at the entrance steps.
Robert Adam designed this building in 1791 as part of Edinburgh's First New Town, one of the most modern urban plans in Europe at the time. The Marquess of Bute later acquired it and his family occupied it for generations, until the National Trust for Scotland took it over in 1966 and made it the residence of the First Minister.
This Georgian residence takes its name from the Marquess of Bute, who lived here for many years before it became an official residence. The First Minister now welcomes guests at formal occasions and uses the reception rooms for government meetings that remain closed to the public.
This building serves as both an official residence and private home, so it is not normally open to visitors, but you can view it from the square outside. Charlotte Square sits centrally in the New Town and is within walking distance from most parts of the Old Town.
The facade on Charlotte Square follows a unified design by Robert Adam, so that all the houses together look like one large palace, even though each is a separate building. This architectural trick shapes the appearance of the whole square and gives it its elegant coherence.
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