Building
Completed in 1803 by John Hamilton for Dr Thomas Davidson, minister of religion.
Who lived there
Lieutenant Colonel John Douglas Boswell lived here in the 1930s. He was the last person to live in the house before it was converted into flats. He attended Rugby School and Loretto. He gained a BA from Brasenose College, Oxford and studied Law at Glasgow University. He was an Oxford Blue 1885-87. He played rugby for Scotland between 1889 and 1895, gaining 15 caps and scoring 26 points. The Scottish forward was captain in 1890 and 1893 and was described as 'florid and stout almost to rotundity.' Unusually for a forward, he was known for his drop goals! He was President of the Scottish Rugby Union 1898-1899.
He served in the 6th Scottish Battalion Imperial Yeomanry in the 2nd Boer War 1900-1901. His friend Captain W K Hamilton-Campbell memorably said of him that he prefered to travel with the baggage train 'as it was safer'! He also served in France during WW1.
In the 1920s he bought Auchinleck House in Ayrshire from Talbot de Malahide, a descendent of James Boswell.
He died in Edinburgh in 1948.
Story
Former Scottish rugby captain lived here in the 1930s