James Smith

The Low Parks Museum in Hamilton, originally designed by James Smith as the home of David Crawford, secretary to the Duke of Hamilton.

James Smith ( – d. 1731) was a Scottish architect, who pioneered the Palladian style in Scotland. He was described by Colen Campbell, in his Vitruvius Britannicus (1715–1725), as "the most experienced architect of that kingdom".

Biography Born in Tarbat, Ross, Smith was the son of James Smith (died c.1684), a mason, who became a burgess of Forres, Moray, in 1659. The architect is generally identified as the "James Smith of Morayshire" who attended the Scots College, Rome from 1671–75, initially with the aim of entering the Catholic priesthood, although some scholars are cautious about the certainty of this identification.

By December 1677, Smith was in touch with Sir William Bruce, the most prominent architect of the time in Scotland, and the designer of the rebuilt Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh. Here, Smith served as a mason, under the direction of the master mason Robert Mylne. By December 1679 he was married to Mylne's daughter Janet, when he was made a burgess of Edinburgh in right of his father-in-law. From 1700 he worked largely in association with the mason and architect Alexander McGill, and after 1710, ceased architectural work almost entirely.

Engineering Smith also undertook engineering work. For instance, he was employed as an arbitrator over a dispute concerning the construction of Cockenzie harbour. In 1701 he acquired the rights to manufacture the steam engine invented by Thomas Savery, and in the 1720s he was involved, with William Adam and Alexander McGill, in an early proposal for a Forth and Clyde Canal, linking Scotland's east and west coasts. Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfriesshire (1680–1690), for the Duke of Queensberry, possibly designed with Robert Mylne Kirk of the Canongate, Edinburgh (1688–1690) Chapel Royal at Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh (1688), destroyed by an anti-Catholic mob the same year Whitehill, Musselburgh (c. 1690), Smith's own home, enlarged in the 18th century and now known as Newhailes Mausoleum of George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh (1691), Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh Traquair House, Borders (1695–1699), alterations Durisdeer Church, and Queensberry Aisle, Dumfriesshire Monument to William Douglas, Duke of Hamilton (1634–1694), in Bothwell Church, Lanarkshire 1695) Melville House, Fife (1697–1700), for the Earl of Melville Yester House, East Lothian (1701–1715), with Alexander McGill for the Marquess of Tweeddale, altered in the 18th century Dalkeith House, Midlothian (1702–1710), major rebuilding for Anne, Duchess of Buccleuch Yester Parish Church, Gifford, East Lothian (1710), attributed to Smith and McGill Dupplin Castle, Perthshire (1720–1725), for the Earl of Kinnoull, destroyed by fire in 1827 Smith's Land, High Street, Edinburgh (unknown date), later known as Paisley's Close

Gallery of architectural work