Bute House (Gaelic: Taigh Bhòid) is the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland located within Charlotte Square in Edinburgh. Alongside two other personal offices at the Scottish Parliament Building and St. Andrew's House, Bute House also contains a smaller office used by the First Minister when in official residence. Located at 6 Charlotte Square in the New Town, it is the central house on the north side of the square, and was designed by Robert Adam. Bute House was conveyed to the National Trust for Scotland by the Marquess of Bute in 1966. Between 1970 and 1999 it served as the official residence of the Secretary of State for Scotland. Since July 1999, it has been the official residence of the First Minister. The four-storey house contains the Cabinet Room, offices and conference, reception, sitting and dining rooms where the First Minister works, and where Scottish Government ministers, official visitors and guests are received and entertained. The second and third floors contain the private residence of the First Minister. As well as serving as the official residence of the First Minister, Bute House is frequently used by the First Minister to hold press conferences, media briefings, meetings of the cabinet of the Scottish Government and appointing members to the Scottish Cabinet. History of the building Early occupants Charlotte Square was designed by Scottish architect Robert Adam. The Lord Provost and Edinburgh Town Council commissioned Adam to draw up plans for the square in 1791 as the culmination of Edinburgh's first New Town. However, Adam died in 1792 and his completed designs had to be realised by others. The north side of the square was built first and is faithful to his intentions. The plot where Bute House now stands was sold in 1792 by public roup (auction) to Orlando Hart, a shoemaker, prominent member of the Town Council and deacon-convener of the trades in Edinburgh, for £290. The house was occupied by John Innes Crawford who lived there between 1796 and 1800. He was born in Jamaica on 27 October 1776. In 1781 he inherited the Bellfield estate in St James, Jamaica from his father John Crawford. The Bellfield sugar plantation with its six hundred enslaved workers generated a net income of £3,000 a year. He later moved to 91 George Street, Edinburgh where he lived between 1801 and 1825. He died on 22 November 1839. In 1806,