Reginald Fairlie

Reginald Francis Joseph Fairlie FRSE FRIAS FRIBA RSA LLD (7 March 1883 – 27 October 1952) was a Scottish architect. He served as a commissioner of RCAHMS and on the Ancient Monuments Board for Scotland.

Born at Kincaple, Fife, he was the son of J. Ogilvy Fairlie of Myers (1848-1916) and Jane Mary Fairlie. He was educated at the Oratory School in Birmingham.

He was apprenticed to Robert Lorimer in 1901 and much of his style echoes that of Lorimer. Ian Gordon Lindsay trained under him (1927–30).

A faithful Roman Catholic, Fairlie designed many war memorials, churches and restorations of castles. From a long list of commissions only a handful fall outside the borders of Scotland.

He set up office at 14 Randolph Place in 1908.

He served in Royal Engineers in World War I. His older brother John Ogilvy Fairlie was killed in action on 25 September 1915. With the death of his father on 28 September 1916 Reginald fell heir to the family estate of Myers. In the early 1920s he designed a series of war memorials, largely working with the sculptor Alexander Carrick.

After the war (around 1920) he joined forces briefly with the architects Reid and Forbes and worked on some award winning housing schemes including Northfield in Edinburgh. He set up his own office at 7 Ainslie Place (which was also his home) in 1925 but remained linked with Reid and Forbes until 1926.

Curiously James Smith Forbes of Reid and Forbes lodged with Fairlie even after the end of their business partnership. His neighbour at 7 Ainslie Place was Francis Cadell the artist and they became friends and remained so even after Cadell moved house. He was also close friends with the sculptor Hew Lorimer whom he possibly met during his connection with Robert Lorimer as Hew was his second son. He pulled Hew into some of his projects including the prestigious National Library project where Hew provided the figurative sculpture on the frontage.

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