Allan Ramsay, of Kinkell (1713-84) was an Edinburgh-born portrait painter and author, and son of the famous Scottish poet and book seller, Allan Ramsay (1684-1758). He studied at the Academy of Saint Luke in Edinburgh and at Hans Hysing’s studio in London before going to Italy and studying under the artists Francesco Imperiali and Francesco Solimena, and at the French Academy. It was during his second trip back to Italy between 1754-57 that he became better acquainted with Robert Adam, who appreciated Ramsay’s intellectual stature and literary reputation, creating a friendship that lasted throughout his time in Italy, London and Edinburgh. In 1755, he wrote his most important scholarly work entitled A Dialogue on Taste which discussed the fashions of society, the importance of Gothic architecture and the superiority of the Greek style over the Roman style and post-Renaissance Classicism. Upon his return from Italy in 1757, his career reached new heights when he was asked to paint a full-length portrait of the prince (future King George III). This led to him being asked to paint the coronation portraits of King George III in 1760 and his wife Queen Charlotte in 1761, and becoming one of their ‘Painters in Ordinary’ in 1762. Ramsay never exhibited his works, but he was elected a member of the Society of Arts in 1757 and became vice-president of the Society of Artists in 1765. He died at Dover in 1784.

In September 1733, Allan Ramsay and his father jointly bought a piece of ground on the north slope of the Castlehill in Edinburgh to construct a house. The house was probably self-designed with Sir John Clerk acting as architectural adviser. The eccentric octagonal structure was often nicknamed the ‘Goose-pye’ by Ramsay’s contemporaries but later became known as Ramsay Lodge. In 1741, the title of the property was transferred solely to Allan Ramsay who maintained a studio there.

In 1758, Ramsay acquired the feu of the land located to the north-east of Ramsay Lodge, containing the town’s bell-foundry, with the intention of building on its site. In February 1761, Ramsay submitted a proposal to the Town Council to construct two houses on the site, stating that they would be ‘in the English fashion fit to accommodate two small families of distinction – a project of certain advantage to the city of Edinburgh, however hazardous it may be to the project’ (Johnston). By June, Ramsay was set to start his new building immediately but the dimensions of the site caused problems and delayed work until 1763 once Ramsay had purchased the bell-foundry land outright. Ramsay demolished the foundry in 1764 and received permission in 1765 to construct two houses with a common wall.

At some point during this process, it would appear that Ramsay asked Robert Adam to make some designs for the houses. There are two variants for a pair of houses for Allan Ramsay in the collection (SM Adam volume 46/36-37 & 36/8) containing elevations and plans. Johnston states that the measurements of the houses in these drawings match those stipulated by the Dean of the Guild and therefore must be related.

These designs were not executed and instead Ramsay constructed a simple Georgian terrace of three houses on the site in 1768. It is not clear if Adam had any involvement in the terrace that was constructed. The houses were two bays wide and four storeys high, with the entire elevation faced in rubble masonry. They were incorporated into the late-nineteenth century complex that was built on the surrounding land, forming the easternmost part of Ramsay Garden.

Literature: A.T. Bolton, The Architecture of Robert and James Adam, Volume II, Index, 1922, p. 12; D. King, The Complete Works of Robert & James Adam and Unbuilt Adam, Volume 2, 2001, pp. 125; J. Fleming, Robert Adam and his circle in Edinburgh and Rome, 1962, pp. 171-176, 203; H. Armet, ‘Allan Ramsay of Kinkell’s Property on the Castlehill’, The Book of the Old Edinburgh Club, Vol. 30, 1959, pp. 27-28; M. Johnston, ‘Ramsay Garden, Edinburgh’, The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland, Vol. 16, 1989, pp. 3-19; J. Ingamells, ‘Allan Ramsay, of Kinkel (1713-1784)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, online, 2004; I. G. Brown, ‘Allan Ramsay’s Rise and Reputation’, Walpole Society, Vol. 50, 1984, pp. 209-47

Louisa Catt, 2023

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