Former Royal Bank of Scotland, 112 High Street

1923 · 112 High Street · Category C listed, LB50695

J. and J. Hall's 1923 classical corner bank combines a formal banking hall with flats above and remains a strong landmark at the northern approach to the commercial centre.

Last reviewed: 22 July 2026

Former Royal Bank of Scotland building at 112 High Street, Galashiels — The former Royal Bank of Scotland at 112 High Street. Photograph: Victuallers / Public House (Former Royal Bank Of Scotland), 112 High Street / CC BY-SA 4.0.

Quick Facts

Date / main phases	1923
Location	112 High Street
Building or site type	Former bank with flats above
Designation	Category C listed, LB50695
Architect or designer	J. and J. Hall
Current use	Former bank; later public-house and commercial uses
Public access	Exterior visible from public streets; internal access depends on current business

Why It Matters

The building shows how banks used architecture to convey permanence and confidence while adapting to a difficult corner site. Its mixture of formal classical stonework, a prominent canted entrance and residential accommodation above also reveals the dense mixed use of central Galashiels between the wars.

The Story

The present building was designed by the Galashiels practice J. and J. Hall and completed in 1923. It replaced an earlier building on the site and formed part of the continuing renewal of the commercial centre in the early twentieth century.

The three-storey, nine-bay composition is symmetrical in its main treatment while responding to the corner through a canted entrance. Smooth ashlar, a rusticated ground floor and carefully proportioned upper windows create the sober classical language commonly associated with bank architecture.

The ground floor contained the banking premises, with flats above. This vertical combination was practical in a constrained town-centre site and kept domestic occupation within a building whose public face was strongly institutional.

The Royal Bank later moved to Bank Street. The former High Street premises became the Golden Lion public house and subsequently accommodated other commercial uses. Those changes demonstrate the adaptability of a well-built banking shell while preserving the main architectural presence.

Together with the former British Linen Bank, Commercial Bank and Bank of Scotland, 112 High Street helps explain the concentration of financial institutions that served the textile economy and shaped the architectural character of central Galashiels.

Things to Notice

The canted corner entrance
Rustication across the ground-floor banking level
The calmer ashlar treatment of the flats above
The nine-bay rhythm and classical proportions
Its visual relationship with other former banks in High Street, Bank Street and Channel Street

Significance Scores

Criterion	Score	Reason
Architectural interest	4 / 5	A well-composed inter-war classical bank adapted to a corner site.
Historical importance	4 / 5	Represents the financial infrastructure of the textile and commercial town.
Social significance	4 / 5	Successive banking, public-house and commercial uses are widely remembered.
Rarity	3 / 5	One of several surviving historic bank buildings, but distinctive in date and form.
Townscape contribution	5 / 5	A strong corner landmark at the approach to the centre.

Scores follow the published significance-scoring methodology. They are interpretive judgements, not statutory designations.

Timeline

Before 1923 – an earlier building occupies the site
1923 – J. and J. Hall's bank and flats are completed
Later 20th century – the Royal Bank moves to Bank Street
Later period – the former bank becomes the Golden Lion public house
Today – the listed exterior remains a prominent commercial landmark

Notes and Uncertainties

The statutory address is 112 High Street. Later business names and uses can change and should not be treated as permanent. Camera coordinates on image sites indicate the photographer's position rather than necessarily the exact centre of the building; the map marker uses the designation grid reference.

Image and Licence Notes

The photograph by Victuallers is reused from Wikimedia Commons under CC BY-SA 4.0. It was taken on 5 April 2024 and identifies the listed building directly.