Alexander Laing (13 June 1752 – 10 September 1823)Alexander Laing
at ScottishArchirects.org.uk was a Scottish architect who was mainly involved in house and castle design.

Life

He appears to be the son of Thomas Laing (d.1774), a knife- and tool-maker who lived near the Theatre on Edinburgh's

Royal Mile The Royal Mile () is a succession of streets forming the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland. The term was first used descriptively in W. M. Gilbert's ''Edinburgh in the Nineteenth Century'' (1901), des ...

. Laing trained as a

stonemason Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using stone as the primary material. It is one of the oldest activities and professions in human history. Many of the long-lasting, ancient shelters, temples, ...

, and (as was typical in that age) was also styled "architect", and was based in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

; He is first listed in Williamson's Edinburgh Directory of 1774 as a "Mason" living at Theatre Row (on the south side of the

near the now Museum of Childhood). Laing married three times: first to Charlotte Polson in 1772, then to Margaret Turnbull in 1786, and finally to Beatrix Currie in 1789. He had a son, Francis (1 May 1773 – 24 November 1861), with Charlotte. He also had a daughter, Jane, who married Captain Alexander Robertson in 1808. In 1795, Laing purchased the James Adam-designed 7 York Place, the manse for the adjacent St George's Chapel in Edinburgh, where he lived until 1818. He left York Place in 1818. He moved to 6 Gayfield Place (a house of his own design) at the top of

Leith Walk Leith Walk is one of the longest streets in Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchange ...

and was still living there in 1823. Laing died in

Portobello Portobello, Porto Bello, Porto Belo, Portabello, or Portabella may refer to: Places Brazil * Porto Belo Ireland * Portobello, Dublin * Cathal Brugha Barracks, Dublin formerly ''Portobello Barracks'' New Zealand * Portobello, New Zealand, on O ...

in 1823, aged 71.''The Snell Exhibitions: From the University of Glasgow to Balliol College, Oxford'' - J. MacLehose & Sons (1901)
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Known works

Laing's works include: Langton Parish Church - geograph

*Archers Hall, Edinburgh (1776) *High School, Edinburgh (1777) *Retreat House,

Abbey St Bathans Abbey St Bathans ( gd, Abaid Bhaoithin) is a parish in the Lammermuir district of Berwickshire, in the eastern part of the Scottish Borders. Unique in its topography, it is situated in a long winding steep wooded valley that follows the Whitead ...

(1778) *House for

Sir James Hunter Blair, 1st Baronet Sir James Hunter Blair, 1st Baronet FRSE (February 1741 – 1 July 1787) was a Scottish banker, landowner and politician. Life Born John Hunter in Ayr, the son of a merchant,Monuments and monumental inscriptions in Scotland: The Caledonian Soci ...

and his new wife (1781) *Wings on

Dalmahoy Dalmahoy (Scottish Gaelic: ''Dail MoThua'') is a hotel and former country house near Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located off the A71 road, south of Ratho. The house is protected as a category A listed building, History The estate was the propert ...

House (1785) *Bridge at

(1787) *Steeple, Town House,

Inverness Inverness (; from the gd, Inbhir Nis , meaning "Mouth of the River Ness"; sco, Innerness) is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for The Highland Council and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands. Histo ...

(1789) *

Inverness Royal Academy Inverness Royal Academy is a comprehensive secondary school in the city of Inverness in the Highland area of Scotland. A former grammar school with a history dating back to the 13th century, the Academy became a comprehensive in the mid-1970s. ...

(1790) *Dunnikier House (1791) *Two villas at Gayfield Square (1791/2) 6 Gayfield Sq and 6 Gayfield PlHES listed buildings in Edinburgh *Remodelling of

Brechin Castle Brechin Castle is a castle in Brechin, Angus, Scotland. The castle was constructed in stone during the 13th century. Most of the current building dates to the early 18th century, when extensive reconstruction was carried out by architect Alexa ...

(1795) *Over Rankeillor House,

Fife Fife (, ; gd, Fìobha, ; sco, Fife) is a council area, historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. It is situated between the Firth of Tay and the Firth of Forth, with inland boundaries with Perth and Kinross ...

(1795) *Remodelling of

Darnaway Castle Darnaway Castle, also known as Tarnaway Castle, is located in Darnaway Forest, southwest of Forres in Moray, Scotland. This was Comyn land, given to Thomas Randolph along with the Earldom of Moray by King Robert I. The castle has remained t ...

(1796 to 1802) *

South Queensferry Queensferry, also called South Queensferry or simply "The Ferry", is a town to the west of Edinburgh, Scotland. Traditionally a royal burgh of West Lothian, it is administered by the City of Edinburgh council area. It lies ten miles to the nort ...

Harbour (1797) *House at 8

York Place, Edinburgh York Place is a street in central Edinburgh of almost exclusively 18th century buildings, linking Queen Street to Broughton Street and Leith Walk. The street's architecture remains almost completely intact but it is one of the busiest streets i ...

(1798) *Langton Church Gavinton (1798) *

Royal Northern Infirmary The Royal Northern Infirmary was a health facility in Ness Walk, Inverness, Scotland. The site remains the home of a small facility, known as the RNI Community Hospital, which was built in the grounds of the old hospital and is managed by NHS Hig ...

, Inverness (1799) * Dysart Church (1802) *Remodelling of

Invermay Invermay () is a diffuse settlement in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. It is situated approximately 2 km southeast of Forteviot on the Water of May, some 8 km southwest of Perth. Before the mid 15th century, it was known as ''Innermeath ...

and estate buildings,

Forteviot Forteviot ( gd, Fothair Tabhaicht) (Ordnance Survey ) is a village in Strathearn, Scotland on the south bank of the River Earn between Dunning and Perth. It lies in the council area of Perth and Kinross. The population in 1991 was 160. The pre ...

(1802) *Parish Church,

Huntly, Aberdeenshire Huntly ( gd, Srath Bhalgaidh or ''Hunndaidh'') is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, formerly known as Milton of Strathbogie or simply Strathbogie. It had a population of 4,460 in 2004 and is the site of Huntly Castle. Its neighbouring settlement ...

(1804) *

Peterhead Peterhead (; gd, Ceann Phàdraig, sco, Peterheid ) is a town in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. It is Aberdeenshire's biggest settlement (the city of Aberdeen itself not being a part of the district), with a population of 18,537 at the 2011 Census ...

Parish Church (1804) *Drumsheugh House, Edinburgh (1808) *Extension to Dysart House (1808) *Manse at

Dunfermline Abbey Dunfermline Abbey is a Church of Scotland Parish Church in Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland. The church occupies the site of the ancient chancel and transepts of a large medieval Benedictine abbey, which was sacked in 1560 during the Scottish Refor ...

(1814) *Manse at

Grange Grange may refer to: Buildings * Grange House, Scotland, built in 1564, and demolished in 1906 * Grange Estate, Pennsylvania, built in 1682 * Monastic grange, a farming estate belonging to a monastery Geography Australia * Grange, South Austr ...

Banffshire Banffshire ; sco, Coontie o Banffshire; gd, Siorrachd Bhanbh) is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland. The county town is Banff, although the largest settlement is Buckie to the west. It borders the Mora ...

(1814) *Manse at

Aberdour Aberdour (; Scots: , gd, Obar Dobhair) is a scenic and historic village on the south coast of Fife, Scotland. It is on the north shore of the Firth of Forth, looking south to the island of Inchcolm and its Abbey, and to Leith and Edinburgh bey ...

(1822)

References

External links

Alexander Laing
- ScottishArchitects.org.uk {{DEFAULTSORT:Laing, Alexander 1752 births 1823 deaths Scottish architects People from Portobello, Edinburgh Architects from Edinburgh