Sash & Case Windows in Old Town

Edinburgh's Old Town is a dramatic landscape of medieval and post-medieval buildings cascading down the ridge from the Castle to Holyrood Palace. The Royal Mile, the Grassmarket, the Cowgate and the labyrinthine closes contain some of Scotland's oldest surviving domestic architecture, including 16th- and 17th-century tenements that represent the origins of the sash and case window tradition in Edinburgh. Many of these buildings are Category A listed, demanding the utmost care in any restoration work.

The Old Town's windows present unique challenges that set them apart from other Edinburgh neighbourhoods. Building geometries are irregular, wall thicknesses vary enormously, and window openings can be offset or tapered in ways that reflect centuries of alteration and reconstruction. Some properties have windows dating back to the early Georgian period with handmade glass, wrought-iron fittings and timber from old-growth forests. Our approach in the Old Town is always cautious and investigative — we survey each window individually, document its condition and construction, and develop a bespoke restoration plan that respects the specific history of the building.

Access is another distinctive challenge in the Old Town. Many properties are reached through narrow closes, up turnpike stairs, or via scaffolding above steeply sloping terrain. We have extensive experience managing these logistics, from organising rope access for upper floors to dismantling sashes into components that can be carried through tight passages to our workshop. Despite these complexities, we consistently deliver restorations that satisfy both the building's conservation requirements and the owner's expectations for comfort and performance.