It was built by architect William Chambers in 1772 for Sir Laurence Dundas as a private villa and being its own grounds, it would have claimed to have been be the grandest residence in the New Town. After his death it became the Excise Office for Scotland, and then In 1825 the Royal Bank of Scotland moved in to use as their head office. In 1857 they added the banking hall which has a magnificent interior with four wide arches leading up to a dome in blue, pierced with glazed stars. H&H recently carried out a conservation clean and redecoration of the Banking Hall and various historic rooms.