This elegant building. Dundas House, was designed as a town house for Sir Lawrence Dundas when Edinburgh’s New Town was being built in the 18th century.  When the town council made plans for a New Town drawn up by James Craig in 1767, the site of Dundas House was shown as a proposed church, St. Andrew's (hence the name of the square), acting as a counterpart to St George's Church on what became Charlotte Square (originally to be called George Square but there was already a St George’s Square). When Sir Lawrence Dundas saw the plans he wanted to show his importance so acquired the land (bribery?) for his mansion so the church was built on a less prominent site. The house was completed in 1774 but he died seven years later and his son sold it to the government in 1794 when it was converted to be the Excise House.  The Royal Bank of Scotland bought it in 1825 and it remained their headquarters until 2005.  The banking hall is very impressive with its dome.
The statue in the garden at the front is of John Hope the 4th Earl of Hopetoun who had served as Governor of the Bank 1820–23.  Behind the house some of the more recent bank extensions are being demolished to make way for the new Dunard concert hall which is due to open in 2026