The Story of 13 Albert Terrace, Morningside, Edinburgh
From its beginnings in 1884 to its present life — a house of continuity and refinement.
In the second half of the nineteenth century, Edinburgh was experiencing a building boom. The New Town was expanding, and families were seeking homes that combined modern convenience with traditional Scottish craftsmanship. It was in this context that No. 13 was conceived.
This view of nearby Morningside Road has changed little since the nineteenth century
In 1884, the plot of land that would become 13 Albert Terrace was sold to the Riach family, marking the start of development on the south side of what was then known as Dove Loan. The builder earmarked the final house — Number 13 — for his own retirement, taking the finest plot at the lane's southern end with open views across the southern hills.
In 1927, Colonel Bruce Turnbull, recently retired from the Indian Army, purchased the house as the new family home. The Turnbulls established it as a warm, cultured centre of family life, complete with Indian rugs, a black-and-gold gong for mealtimes, and a three-part copper Tibetan trumpet from Colonel Turnbull's service with the 23rd Sikh Pioneers.
During the Second World War, the house became a place of welcome and refuge. The Turnbulls took in an Austrian girl from the Kindertransport, as well as an aunt and her Canadian Air Force husband. Colonel Turnbull also served Edinburgh as a Town Councillor for nearly twenty years, becoming Bailie, Senior Magistrate, and Convener of Parks.
In 1968, the Turnbull family sold the house to Brian and Dorothy, marking the close of four decades of Turnbull ownership. Their purchase ushered in a new era defined by thoughtful care, continuity, and the quiet endurance of a house already rich with history.
The Complete Story
Setting and Surroundings: Dove Loan
Though today a quiet side‑street, Albert Terrace once pulsed with movement and trade. In its early decades, Dove Loan carried travellers and traders out of the city. At the time, the lane was a principal route out of Edinburgh, branching from Morningside Road toward the old weaver's village of Tipperlinn. It was also the route taken by the ceremonial Riding of the Marches, the annual parade on horseback that thundered past its stone façades, marking the civic boundary in ceremony and celebration — a pageant still echoed in the Borders towns today.
Over time, the lane became enclosed by gardens and villas, the old roadway subsiding into the peace of suburbia — yet the bones of the old route remain visible in the line of the cobbles as it wends toward the south.
Dove Loan, the historic route that became Albert Terrace
The Riach Family (1884–1926)
In 1884, the plot of land that would become 13 Albert Terrace was sold to the Riach family, marking the start of development on the south side of what was then known as Dove Loan.
The original deed documenting the sale of the land to the Riach family
The Riachs built four substantial houses along the lane, initially addressed as 1–4 Albert Gardens, restarting new numbering after the grand row of 1–9 Albert Terrace next door. Those earlier Regency-style houses are now Category B listed, distinguished by their ashlar façades, classical detailing, and the pair of decorative storks poised at either end of the roofline.
The builder of Numbers 10–13 (formerly 1–4 Albert Gardens) earmarked the final house — Number 13 — for his own retirement, taking the finest plot at the lane's southern end. From there, the property commanded open views across the southern hills and northward down Merchiston Bank Gardens. He lavished attention on its finish, adding architectural refinements and detailing that set it subtly apart from its neighbours, making No. 13 both the culmination and the crown of the row.
The Turnbull Years (1927–1968)
On 17 May 1927, Colonel Bruce Turnbull, recently retired from the Indian Army, purchased 13 Albert Terrace as the new family home. His wife, Jessie Barbara Allan (Ker) Turnbull, came from a distinguished Edinburgh and East Lothian family of stockbrokers and ministers, and the couple quickly established the house as a warm, cultured centre of family life.
Colonel Bruce Turnbull
Life in the House
The Turnbull home was noted for its quiet order and understated elegance. The hall was furnished with Indian rugs, and a black‑and‑gold gong signalled mealtimes. A particularly striking heirloom was a three‑part copper Tibetan trumpet, brought back by Colonel Turnbull from the Younghusband Expedition to Tibet (1904) — a vivid reminder of his service with the 23rd Sikh Pioneers in the Indian Army.
Their children — Barbara (b. 1912), Ronald (b. 1914), Hester (b. 1917), and Tom (b. 1925) — grew up at No. 13 after the family's return from India. It was a lively, gracious household, rooted in traditional values yet marked by a global sensibility.
During the Second World War, the house became a place of welcome and refuge. The Turnbulls took in an Austrian girl from the Kindertransport, as well as an aunt and her Canadian Air Force husband. The home at 13 Albert Terrace thus stood, in a turbulent era, as a haven of decency and generosity.
Colonel Turnbull: Soldier and Civic Leader
From this address, Colonel Turnbull became a familiar figure in Edinburgh's civic life. Elected to the Town Council for the Morningside Ward in 1933, he served for nearly twenty years until his death in 1952. His posts included:
- Bailie (1944–1947)
- Senior Magistrate (1946–1947)
- Judge of Police
- Convener of Parks — championing Edinburgh's playing fields and green spaces
- Chairman of the Civic Amenities Committee (from July 1950)
He was awarded the C.B.E. in 1937 and appointed Deputy Lieutenant of the City of Edinburgh. Neighbours remembered him as formal but approachable, a man who combined military discipline with civic warmth.
Colonel Turnbull died at home on 21 January 1952, aged seventy‑one. His obituary in the Scotsman recorded both his distinguished career and the fact that he had died "at his home, 13 Albert Terrace."
The Turnbull Legacy
Ronald Bruce Turnbull
Niels Bohr
His widow Jessie continued to live there for a few years before moving to Chamberlain Road, where she died in 1966. Of their children, Ronald Bruce Turnbull became notable in his own right — described as living a "real James Bond life" as an officer in the Special Operations Executive (SOE), liaison with the Danish Resistance, and key figure in the evacuation of physicist Niels Bohr during the war. He was later awarded the OBE, the Order of the Dannebrog, and the American Medal of Freedom.
A New Chapter: The 1968 Purchase
In 1968, the Turnbull family sold the house to Brian and Dorothy, marking the close of four decades of Turnbull ownership. Their purchase ushered in a new era for 13 Albert Terrace, one defined by thoughtful care, continuity, and the quiet endurance of a house already rich with history.
A House of Continuity
From its beginnings in 1884 to its present life, 13 Albert Terrace has been a house of continuity and refinement — a place that has sheltered builders, soldiers, civic leaders, refugees, and families across more than a century. Its walls have absorbed the sound of the gong for supper, the laughter of children, the quiet of post‑war Edinburgh evenings, and the hum of new generations finding their own rhythm within its rooms.