A tall early lodging survives the steep Spittal Street site through a conspicuous round stair tower and post-war residential restoration.
Quick facts
- Date
- Seventeenth century; extensively restored 1959
- Architect / designer
- Original designer unrecorded; restoration under the burgh’s post-war programme
- Type
- Early urban lodging with round stair tower and crowstepped gables
- Designation
- Listed building, Category A (LB41484)
- OS grid reference
- NS 79380 93599
Architecture and continuing use
The stuccoed four-bay front rises above a sunken ground floor with a conical-roofed circular stair tower. Crowsteps, swept dormers and the taller Baker Street side express the falling ground.
Its story
The seventeenth-century lodging is linked by tradition to Robert Spittal and James Darrow. Extensive restoration in 1959 stabilised its early character while adapting the group as flats.
Why it is included
As a conspicuous Category A survivor of Stirling’s early domestic architecture, it broadens the Place beyond royal and ecclesiastical monuments.
What to notice
- Conical stair-tower roof.
- Crowstepped gables and swept dormers.
- Extra apparent storey on the falling Baker Street side.
Reading the surroundings
The building contains private homes; view only from public streets and protect residents’ privacy.
Timeline
- Seventeenth century The lodging was built on the sloping Spittal Street site.
- 1959 An extensive restoration and addition adapted the building for continued use.
- 2014 Planning evidence recorded the group as flatted dwellings.
- 2026 Address and property evidence continues to identify Spittals House at 56 Spittal Street.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Traditional personal associations are not treated as proven, and present private occupancy has not been inspected.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Glengarry Lodge or Darrow Lodging, LB41484 — Designation category, mapped location, construction phases, fabric, authorship and architectural or historical interest.
- Planning application: 54–58 Spittal Street — Building-specific planning evidence for address, mapped position and flatted residential use.
- Current address record: Spittals House — Independent current address evidence for Spittals House at 56 Spittal Street.
Location
OS grid reference NS 79380 93599 · Location confidence: High: the HES designation provides an official mapped National Grid Reference and the current source confirms the Place relationship or present identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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