Archibald Elliot

Archibald Elliot (August 1761 – 16 June 1823) was a Scottish architect based in Edinburgh. He had a very distinctive style, typified by square plans, concealed roofs, crenelated walls and square corner towers. All may be said to derive from the earlier local example of Melville Castle by James Playfair. Many of his works have been demolished.

He was born in Ancrum, Roxburghshire the son of a carrier, and was probably a distant relative of Lord Minto. His father had put him into a joinery apprenticeship, he then moved on to cabinet making in London. There he was influenced by the modern trends in architecture. He studied hard and returned to Edinburgh, where he set up and ran an architecture practice in London and Edinburgh with his brother James Elliot. Following James's death in 1810, Archibald ran the company on his own. It was later taken over by Archibald's son, Archibald Elliot Junior.

​He contributed to many significant buildings and streets in Edinburgh, including St Paul's and St George's Church, Rutland Square, the Regent Bridge, Waterloo Place and Calton Prison (now demolished). He was also involved with work on many country houses in Scotland, including Blair Castle and Loudoun Castle in Ayrshire, and Stobo Castle in Peeblesshire.

He was also the architect that the 6th Marquises of Lothian wanted and got for the second attempt at building the Waterloo monument which to this day sits on top of Peniel Heugh hill. The work to rebuild the monument started in May 1817 work was steady on the building but the architect had decided to make life easier for the men and installed a crane, which pleased the Marquis. Progress was slow but Elliot was being more precise and stricter than William Burn had been in his requirements. Alas two days before Waterloo day in 1823 Archibald Elliot died in Edinburgh therefore did not see the Monument completed. He is buried near the centre of New Calton Cemetery, close to his works on Waterloo Place. A son, William Elliot (1796-1828) lies with him. Archibald's sons, Archibald Elliot (died 1843) and Alexander Elliot, ran a practice in London. Archibald inherited his father's practice on his death.

Some of the places Archibald Elliot worked on are:

· Loudon Castle complete rebuilding around an original 17th-century tower house (1804) (largely demolished)

· Stobo Castle (1805)

· Taymouth Castle (1806)

· Guildhall, Dunfermline (1807)

· Calton Prison (1815) (demolished 1930)

· Midlothian County Hall, Edinburgh (1816) (demolished)

· Waterloo Monument, Peniel Heugh (1817)

· 35 St Andrew Square, Edinburgh (as Royal Bank of Scotland head office) (1819)

· Rutland Square and Rutland Street, Edinburgh (1819–21)

· St George's Church, Paisley co-designed with William Reid (1819)

· Broughton McDonald Church, Broughton Place, Edinburgh (1820)

· Edmonstone House, south of Edinburgh (1821, now largely demolished)

· Blair Atholl Church (1823)

· Jedburgh Castle Jail (1823)

· St Marks Episcopal Church, Portobello (1823) completed posthumously by his son (1825-7)