Lamb’s House, Leith: One of Scotland’s most historically significant homes hits the market

One of Scotland’s most historically and architecturally significant homes which dates back to the 17th century has gone on the market.

Lamb’s House located at Waters Close, Leith, was built in 1610 during Leith’s golden age as an independent and fortified port town and is a rare survivor from Scotland’s early modern period. 

The property is Category A-listed and lies just 40 metres from the original harbour within the Leith Conservation Area, anchoring it to the city’s rich cultural and architectural legacy.

Today the ten-bedroom home comprises the original four-storey house with attic level, an extension, a Renaissance-inspired Pavilion, and an enclosed walled garden. 

It is on the market with Savills for £3,750,000.

‘Lamb’s House is not merely a remarkable home—it is an enduring symbol of Scotland’s architectural brilliance and cultural continuity,’ Ben Fox from Savills said.

‘Every stone, beam and bloom speaks to the spirit of Leith. To offer this property to the market is to invite someone to become the next steward of a truly exceptional chapter in Scotland’s history.’

The architectural detail throughout is exceptional, with crow-stepped gables, massive Baltic pine beams, leaded windows, and expansive 17th-century fireplaces.

A particular jewel within the property is the walled garden, reimagined in 2010 in the spirit of a Renaissance parterre. 

Enclosed by a high stone wall and designed around mirrored quatrefoil beds and hornbeam columns, the garden offers a private oasis at the heart of the city.

The site was originally owned by Edinburgh merchant and shipowner Andrew Lamb. The Lamb family were said to have entertained Mary, Queen of Scots, somewhere nearby on her return from France in 1561.

By the early 20th century, however, the once bustling port of Leith, where merchants from nearby Edinburgh made their substantial fortunes, had fallen silent and Lambs House became very run-down.

Lamb’s House was later given to National Trust for Scotland and used as a day centre for older people until it was sold to conservation architect Nicholas Groves-Raines and Kristin Hannesdottir in 2010.

Read more Homes & Garden stories here.

Subscribe to read the latest issue of Scottish Field.