Scottish Blog

St Andrew’s House is the building which houses some parts of the Scottish Executive.

Since as early as 1939, when the building was completed, the St Andrew’s House has held parts of the Scottish Executive. Originally these were limited to the Scottish Office and the office of the Secretary of State for Scotland. These were moved out of their home in the British Parliament in London in a limited transfer of devolved power after World War I. This power was increased after the passing of the Scotland Act 1998, and was subsequently also moved into St Andrew’s House. It now houses both the First and Deputy-First Ministers of Scotland, along with the Scottish Executive Justice Department and the Scottish Executive Health Department.

St Andrew’s House is located in Edinburgh on the side of Calton Hill. The building was designed by Thomas S. Tait, who won an architectural competition for the right to design this building. St Andrew’s House is built in an “Art Deco” style, with influences from buildings like the “RIBA headquarters” in London. The North (and main) face of the St Andrew’s building is very symmetrical and relatively restrained compared to the more random and flared design of the rear of the building. Because of its importance as a building in the history of Scotland and its design, St Andrew’s House is a listed building in Scotland, with an “A” rating. This means that it is officially recognized as a building of national significance, and is subsequently afforded the appropriate protection. In fact it received significant refurbishment in 2001.