Overview of St Andrew's House

St Andrew's House is located in Regent Road, to the east of Edinburgh's Princes Street. It lies on the flank of Calton Hill, overlooking Waverley Station, the Canongate and Salisbury Crags beyond. Built in 1939, by Thomas Tait, it is one of the most significant examples of an art deco style building in Scotland and is now preserved through a category 'A' listing. Previously it was home to the Scottish Office, which was transferred there, from London, through a process of limited devolution prior to World War II, a concession which kept nationalism at bay for many years. The building included the offices of the Secretary of State for Scotland. St. Andrew's House is now the principal office of the First Minister and the Scottish Government, responsible for running Scotland since the Scotland Act (1998). The building was subject to a £20 million refurbishment in 2001.

To the rear of St. Andrew's House, next to the Old Calton Burial Ground, is the Governor's House, a turreted structure, which was part of the municipal prison that had previously occupied the site. The original Bridewell Gaol was built by Robert Adam (1728-92) and extended to form Calton Gaol by Archibald Elliot (1761 - 1823), but the complex was demolished just prior to the building of St Andrew's House.