Prodigious and influential architect. Born in Buccleuch Place in Edinburgh, the son of a builder, Bryce was educated at the High School. He became a pupil and then partner of William Burn (1789 - 1870). This partnership was dissolved in 1845 as Burn spent most of his time in London and Bryce remained in Edinburgh, and strains began to develop. Bryce became the most notable architect of his time, working in a variety of architectural styles, but is particularly known as the leading proponent of the Scottish Baronial, with its distinctive pepperpot turrets and crow-stepped gables. Examples of his work include Fettes College and the old Royal Infirmary (1879) in Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, together with more than a hundred country houses and a number of churches. He was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 1836.
