Surely the demolition of Seafield House would  be a damning indictment of Scottish conservation as well as presenting the nation in a rather superficial light - dislocated from its past and indifferent to the virtues that once combined to create a very particular Scottish greatness.

Some of you will know John Addison who has worked alongside us in an engineering capacity on some of our larger projects. For those of you who don’t, he is a building conservation specialist, one of the co-authors of the Edinburgh New Town Conservation Handbook and holder of refreshingly robust opinions on what is going wrong within many Council departments. He is helping to raise awareness of the campaign for Seafield House’s survival and when we spoke he saw this as just the latest in a line of bureaucratic failures that are representative of wider conservation issues: “The double standards shown by Councils is breathtaking and deeply worrying. They preach ‘best practice’ and government standards to us all, yet they enforce from trivia, bully private businesses, destroy buildings and breach those Codes and Standards which are important to people in daily life. Just look at the mess Edinburgh Council has created with the trams fiasco and the massive abuses of property and human rights associated with its ongoing Property Repairs Scam. I helped the BBC make its TV documentary and was horrified at the evidence of how a once logical maintenance-watch system descended into technical and management chaos. This wilderness must have opened up the road for the corruption reported in the press.”

Find out more about Seafield House at www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/news/home-news/council-to-debate-fate-of-scots-engineers-home.16744756

Photograph of Seafield House courtesy of Hugh Dougherty.

Kicking off a series on the Scottish Colourists this is, amazingly, the first solo exhibition of the Edinburgh-born Cadell’s work to be held in a public gallery for 70 years. His still lifes and portraits are well covered, as are the beautifully natural paintings of Iona. But we particularly enjoyed the striking interiors that Cadell painted in his Edinburgh studios. Cadell clearly took great care with his surroundings and the familiar Georgian proportions of the rooms are enlivened by his bold use of colour (see The Orange Blind and The Gold Chair). The effect is as arresting now as it must have been at the time. They certainly show Edinburgh in a glamorous light.

The exhibition is on until 18^th March and it is definitely something to make time for.

• See: www.nationalgalleries.org

This reclaimed chair has been imaginatively re-upholstered in a selection of plaids and tweeds, turning an ugly sister into a unique Cinderella. It’s priced at £1,125.00.
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Providing the ideal reading light for winter evenings in your favourite armchair, this well-proportioned floor lamp would also look great bringing light to a dark corner. £303.

We love our tartan and tweed cushions. Trimmed in leather, they’re ideal for the Heritage look. Bring a touch of the Highlands to a sofa or armchair and update your interior while adding stylish comfort. Prices from £85.

Cast in bronze, these two fat ladies add a touch of whimsy to mantelpieces and sideboards. The gorgeous girls are priced at £250 each or £400 for the pair.

The neat proportions of the Martini Table make it perfect for the party season. The antique finish and timeless design means it works with any interior. £223.