Tenement stair

This is a tenement stair light - this particular building dates from the early 20th century and stood in the grounds of a large mansion house demolished at that period. The last owner was Bartholomew, the map-maker.

"During the 19th century tenements became the predominant type of new housing in Scotland's industrial cities, although they were very common in the Old Town in Edinburgh from the 15th century where they reached ten or eleven storeys high and in one case fourteen storeys. Built of sandstone or granite, Scottish tenements are usually three to five storeys in height, with two to four flats on each floor. Scottish tenements are constructed in terraces of tenements, and each entrance within a block is referred to as a close or stair ? both referring to the shared passageway to the individual flats. Flights of stairs and landings are generally designated common areas, and residents traditionally took turns to sweep clean the floors."

Reproduced under Creative Commons Compatible License
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apartment#Scotland