Robert Macfarlane Cameron RIBA DL (1860–1920) was a 19th/20th century Scottish architect, specialising first in public houses and later in cinemas.

Life

He was born on 23 July 1860 at 93 South Back of Canongate (now known as Holyrood Road) the son of Robert Cameron. He was educated at

George Watson's College George Watson's College is a co-educational independent day school in Scotland, situated on Colinton Road, in the Merchiston area of Edinburgh. It was first established as a hospital school in 1741, became a day school in 1871, and was merge ...

then was apprenticed as an architect to

David Bryce David Bryce FRSE FRIBA RSA (3 April 1803 – 7 May 1876) was a Scottish architect. Life Bryce was born at 5 South College Street in Edinburgh, the son of David Bryce (1763–1816) a grocer with a successful side interest in building. ...

at 131 George Street from 1875. He stayed with Bryce until 1881 then moved to the offices of Robert Matheson, who was then the Clerk of Works for all Scotland. In 1882 he began assisting on the Prison Board for Scotland. A recession in the Scottish building industry caused him to work as a furniture designer in

Kirkcaldy Kirkcaldy ( ; sco, Kirkcaldy; gd, Cair Chaladain) is a town and former royal burgh in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It is about north of Edinburgh and south-southwest of Dundee. The town had a recorded population of 49,460 in 2011, ...

for 2 or 3 years, but in 1885 he then bravely opened his own architectural practice in Edinburgh, based at 20 George Street. In 1890 he moved to larger premises at 24 George Street then in 1910 downsized and simply worked from home. He lived his final years at 53 Great King Street, a magnificent Georgian townhouse in Edinburgh's Second New Town. Over and above his architect skills, he served the city of Edinburgh as a Bailie and Magistrate, eventually becoming Deputy Lieutenant of Edinburgh. He died on 12 December 1920 and is buried in

Warriston Cemetery Warriston Cemetery is a cemetery in Edinburgh. It lies in Warriston, one of the northern suburbs of Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built by the then newly-formed Edinburgh Cemetery Company, and occupies around of land on a slightly sloping s ...

. The grave lies close to the main north south entrance path, on its east side. His architectural practice was taken over by Stewart Kaye.

Works

see

*Tenemental blocks at 2 to 24 Viewforth in southwest Edinburgh (1885) *

Dunbar Dunbar () is a town on the North Sea coast in East Lothian in the south-east of Scotland, approximately east of Edinburgh and from the English border north of Berwick-upon-Tweed. Dunbar is a former royal burgh, and gave its name to an ec ...

Public School (1886) *

Lasswade Lasswade is a village and civil parish in Midlothian, Scotland, on the River North Esk, nine miles (14.5 kilometres) south of Edinburgh city centre, contiguous with Bonnyrigg and between Dalkeith to the east and Loanhead to the west. Melv ...

Public School (1886) *

Lipton Lipton is a British brand of tea, owned by Ekaterra. Lipton was also a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom, later sold to Argyll Foods, after which the company sold only tea. The company is named after its founder, Sir Thomas Lipton, who fo ...

's shop, 56/57

Princes Street Princes Street ( gd, Sràid nam Prionnsan) is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km (thre ...

(1887) *Brickman warehouse, 3 Charlotte Place in

Leith Leith (; gd, Lìte) is a port area in the north of the city of Edinburgh, Scotland, founded at the mouth of the Water of Leith. In 2021, it was ranked by ''Time Out'' as one of the top five neighbourhoods to live in the world. The earliest ...

(1887)Edinburgh and Leith Post Office Directory 1890 *The Donald Fountain, Dunfermline (1888) *Pair of villas at 52/54 Inverleith Place in Edinburgh (1890) *

Loanhead Loanhead is a town in Midlothian, Scotland, in a commuter belt to the south of Edinburgh, and close to Roslin, Bonnyrigg and Dalkeith. The town was built on coal and oil shale mining, and the paper industries. History Loanhead was a tiny villa ...

School (1891) *Warrender Park Free Church, Edinburgh (1891) *

Public School (1893) * Dunnikier Primary School (1894) *Guildford Arms pub,

Rose Street, Edinburgh Rose Street is a street in the New Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is a narrow street running parallel between Princes Street and George Street. Today, it is principally a shopping street, however, it is well known for its many bars and p ...

(1895) *

Juniper Green Juniper Green is a village on the outskirts of Edinburgh, Scotland, situated about south-west of the city centre. It bridges the city bypass, and extends along the foothills of the Pentlands. It is bordered by Colinton to the east, Baberton ...

Church (1895) *Tenement at 14/16 Holyrood Road, Edinburgh (1895) *

Royal Burgess The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh is a Scottish golf club, which holds claim to be the oldest golfing society in the world, with references to it being instituted in 1735 dating from 1834. The club enjoys a parkland golf course, cou ...

Golf Course and Clubhouse,

Barnton, Edinburgh Barnton ( gd, Baile an t-Sabhail) is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland, in the north-west of the city, between Cramond and Corstorphine Hill and west of Davidsons Mains. Part of the area was traditionally known as "Cramond Muir" in reference ...

(1897) *Offices and Whisky bond for Pattison & Co, Breadalbane Street,

(1898) *Offices for J M Scott,

(1898) * Abbeyhill United Presbyterian Church (1899) *Golf Tavern,

Bruntsfield Links Bruntsfield Links is of open parkland in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh, immediately to the south-west of the adjoining Meadows. Unlike The Meadows, which formerly contained a loch drained by the end of the 18th century, Bruntsfield Links has always ...

, Edinburgh (1899) *The Three Tuns pub, Hanover Street, Edinburgh (1899) *

Gorgie Gorgie ( ) is a densely populated area of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located in the west of the city and borders Murrayfield, Ardmillan and Dalry. Name The name is thought to be Brythonic in origin. Early forms suggest it derives from ''gor g ...

United Presbyterian Church and Hall (1900) *Pub on corner of Howard Place and Warriston Crescent, Edinburgh (1903) *Haymarket Inn, Edinburgh (1906) *Remodelling of Forth Bridge Hotel,

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 ...

(1907) *Edinburgh Dental Hospital, Chambers Street (1908) later remodelled *

Parish Church Halls (1909) *Roller skating rink, Dundee (1909) - possibly the first in Britain *Cattle Markets,

Chesser Chesser ( ) is a mainly residential suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland, east of the Water of Leith. It, with Longstone, is to the south-west, Allan Park and Craiglockhart to the south, Slateford, Hutchison and Moat to the east, and Gorgie Road to ...

, Edinburgh (1910) *Grandstand at

Powderhall Powderhall is an area lying between Broughton Road and Warriston Road in the north of Edinburgh, the Scottish capital. Until recently it was best known for Powderhall Stadium, a greyhound racing track, which has now closed. The stadium also pla ...

Greyhound Stadium (1910) *Picture House cinema,

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 ...

(1910) *Princes Cinema,

Edinburgh (1912) *Royal Hotel and Cinema (1912) *St Cuthberts Poorhouse, Craigleith, Edinburgh (1912) *Palace Cinema, Edinburgh

Family

In 1916, aged 56, he married a widow, Margaret Emma Bowman (née Burns).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, Robert Macfarlane 1860 births 1920 deaths Architects from Edinburgh People educated at George Watson's College Deputy Lieutenants of Edinburgh Burials at Warriston Cemetery