Queensberry House, 17th century mansion in Old Town, Scotland
Queensberry House is a 17th-century stone mansion on Canongate in Edinburgh's Old Town. The building now forms part of the Scottish Parliament complex and serves as office space for senior parliamentary staff.
The house was built in 1667 for the Duke of Queensberry, who later signed the 1707 Treaty of Union that joined Scotland and England. Over the following centuries, the building passed through several owners and was used at different times as a hospital.
The house stands as a reminder of Canongate's past as a prestigious address for noble families, with its grand stone exterior still visible among neighboring historic buildings. Its journey from private residence through different purposes shows how Edinburgh transformed over centuries.
The building sits directly on Canongate and is easy to reach on foot from most of Old Town's main sights. Since it is part of an active parliamentary complex, check whether access is open before making a specific trip.
Excavations in the kitchen of the house uncovered traces of metalworking that may have been linked to the Scottish Royal Mint. Finding craft activity of this kind inside a noble household is unusual for that period.
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