21Albany Street
1892 – 1918 Thomas and Isabella Gilmour
The Gilmours owned a company making feathers, flowers and straw hats. The 1901 census records that at that time they had eight daughters and one son; all under thirteen years of age. Also living with them at that time was Isabella’s seventy four year old father. The couple had a temporary nurse, as the youngest child was recently born, and a nursemaid and one servant to help with their large family. One daughter, Christian, married the Rev. Robert Inglis in 1937.
1919 - 1940 Office of John Baird
John Baird was a solicitor. Early in his professional career Baird acted for a number of well-known city builders. He was involved with the development of the east side of North Bridge, including the erection of the Carlton Hotel. He built up significant conveyancing business, although he also was involved in a variety of other legal business, including acting as agent in court cases. For more than fifty years Baird was the solicitor of the Salvation Army in Edinburgh and, at one time, President of the Edinburgh Burns Club and of the Gilbert and Sullivan Society. He was a member of the Edinburgh Volunteer Forces. He moved his house and law practice here from Number 20, having previously worked at Number 7 from 1888. He died in 1940, aged eighty.
1919 – 1935 Office of Johnston & Smillie
This Chartered Accountancy partnership consisted of George Kirkwood Johnston and Charles Smillie. Later, Johnston’s son joined the firm. Following the death of Johnston senior in 1934, the partnership was dissolved.
1936 – 1939 Office of Robert McRae SorbieRobert Sorbie was a solicitor. In 1937, he established a private company to re-open The Carlton Hotel on North Bridge. The hotel had been requisitioned during the First World War for military purposes and had lain unoccupied since 1918. The refurbished hotel, now named The New Carlton Hotel, was announced as having ‘100 rooms, all with private bathroom and telephone, ballroom, silver grill, garage, etc. central heating throughout. It opened in 1938: ‘With menu and music in the right gala key the latest accession to Edinburgh’s social resorts, the New Carlton Hotel ballroom had its inauguration last night in a special Hallowe’en dinner dance which was attended by about 100 ladies and gentlemen.’
1940s Office of James C Cessford
Extension to their office at Number 23.
1944 – 1949 Office of William K Geddes
William Geddes was an accountant, including acting as auditor for the Scottish Co-operative Wholesale Society. He moved his office to Rutland Square.
1952 British Association of Colliery Management
This was the Edinburgh office of the UK association. Originally founded in the early 1940s by the mining industry, the Association, then known as Yorkshire Association of Colliery Officials and Staff, set out to represent colliery officials and staff within the Yorkshire region. Membership grew rapidly and colliery branches began to form outside of the Yorkshire area. In May 1947, following nationalisation of the coal industry, the name was changed to the British Association of Colliery Management.
1951 - around 2013 Century Building Society
This was the smallest building society in the United Kingdom, and Albany Street its only branch. In 2013 it merged with its local rival, the Scottish Building Society.