Queensberry House
| Queensberry House | |
|---|---|
Frontage of Queensberry House | |
Interactive map of the Queensberry House area | |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | 17–century town house |
| Location | Queensberry House, Edinburgh, Scotland, EH8 8BZ |
| Current tenants | Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Deputy Presiding Officers, Chief Executive of the Scottish Parliament |
| Year built | 1667–1670 |
| Owner | Scottish Government |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 4 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | James Smith (1770 renovation) |
| This article is part of a series within the Politics of the United Kingdom on the |
| Politics of Scotland |
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Queensberry House is a building of 17th-century origin which is now Category A listed by Historic Environment Scotland. It was built between 1667–1670 as a grand lodging house for Margaret Douglas of Balmakelly, and was later modified in 1681 by Charles Maitland of Hatton. The building has an extensive history, most notably when James Douglas, Earl of Drumlanrig and his son, murdered a kitchen boy in 1707, on the same night the Earl of Drumlanrig signed the Act of Union between the Kingdom of Scotland and Kingdom of England.
It stands on the south side of the Canongate, Edinburgh, Scotland, incorporated into the Scottish Parliament complex on its north-west corner. After various ownership changes since its opening, it was acquired by the Scottish Government in 1997 for government use, and contains the office of the Presiding Officer, two Deputy Presiding Officers, the Parliament's Chief Executive, and other staff.