William Leiper was born in Glasgow, Scotland on 21 May 1839 and trained as an architect with James Boucher (1826-1906) and James Cousland (c1833-1866) of Boucher & Cousland in Glasgow from c.1855 to c.1859. He then worked as an assistant to John Loughborough Pearson (1817-1897) and to William Henry White (1838-1896) in London until c.1861; to Andrew Heiton (1823-1894) in Perth in 1862-63; and to Campbell Douglas (1828-1910) and John James Stevenson (1831-1908) of Campbell Douglas & Stevenson in Glasgow in 1863-64.
Leiper commenced practice as an architect in Glasgow in 1864 and was in partnership with Robert Grieve Melvin (c.1839-1879) from 1864 to c,1867. In c.1899 he formed a brief partnership with William James Anderson specifically for the commission to design the interiors of the SS Regele Carol I for the Romanian Government. In c.1899 he formed a longer-lasting partnership, Leiper & McNab, in Glasgow with William Hunter McNab (1862-1935). Because of ill health Leiper was forced to retire from the partnership in 1909, however, McNab continued to run the firm with the name unchanged for at least a decade.
In addition to his work as an architect, Leiper was also a watercolourist and keen photographer. He exhibited at the Glasgow Institute of the Fine Arts; the Royal Academy in London; and at the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Water Colours, and the Royal Scottish Academy in Edinburgh. He was elected an Associate of the Royal Scottish Academy (ARA) in 1892 and a full member of the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) in 1898. He was also elected a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1881.
Throughout his career Leiper lived and worked in Glasgow. He died in Helensburgh, Scotland on 27 May 1916.
Notable architectural works by Leiper included Dumbarton Burgh Halls, Dumbartonshire (1865); Parish Church, Dowanhill, Glasgow (1865); Dumbarton Academy, Dumbartonshire (1865); Kirktonhill House, Dumbarton, Dumbartonshire (1866); Offices of Glasgow Gas Lighting Company, 42 Virginia Street, Glasgow, with William Melvin (1867); Lindsaylands, near Biggar, Lanarkshire (1869); Colearn Castle near Auchterarder, Perth and Kinross (1869); Redholm in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1871); Thurloe in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire, designed for himself (1871); Bonnyton in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1871); Cairndhu in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1871); Cornhill House near Biggar, Lanarkshire (1871); Cornhill Farm and Steading, Coulter, Lanarkshire (1871); Rannochlea House in Pollokshields, Glasgow (1871); Partick Burgh Hall, Glasgow (1872); Dalmore in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1873); Balgray House in Kelvinside, Glasgow (1873); Bloomgate United Presbyterian Church in Lanark, Lanarkshire (1874); Bank Street United Presbyterian Church in Brechin, Angus (1875); Belhaven United Presbyterian Church, Dowanhill, Glasgow (1875); Camphill United Presbyterian Church, Queen's Park, Glasgow (1875-83); Whiteinch United Presbyterian Church, Partick, Glasgow (1876); Earnock House, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire (1876-77); Interior of SY Livadia, a Russian yacht made by John Elder & Co. in Govan, Glasgow (1879); Castlepark, Lanark, Lanarkshire (1880); Ruthven Towers near Auchterarde, Perth & Kinross (1880); Cairndhu stable block, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1881); Remodelling of Ardvuela, 20 Queen Street in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1883); Dorlecote, 134 Sinclair Street in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1883); Tordarroch, 117 Sinclair St in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1883); Aros in Rhu, Argyll (1883); Torwood in Helensburgh, Dinbartonshire (1883); Kinlochmoidart House and lodge houses, Lochailort, Inverness (1884); Ruyton Park in Shrewsbury, Shropshire (1884-89); Remodelling of exterior of Dormira in Partickhill, Glasgow (1885); Parish Church in Hyndland, Glasgow (1885); Jubilee Gates for Victoria Park, Glasgow (1887); Ganavan in Oban, Argyll and Bute (1888); Catholic Apostolic Church, Glasgow (1889); Monument to Jessie Montgomery Lang, Glasgow Necropolis (1889); Sun Life Insurance Offices, corner of West George Street and Renfield Street in Glasgow, in collaboration with William Birnie Rhind (1889); Templeton's Carpet Factory at Glasgow Green, Glasgow (1889); Kelly House, Wemyss Bay, Inverclyde (1890); Moredun House and lodge in Paisley, Renfrewshire (1890); Earnock Cottage, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire (1892); St Leonards in Gillburn Road, Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire (1893); Victoria Infirmary, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1893); Westbreak, Park Road in Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire (1893); Brantwood villa in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1895); Primary School, Garelochhead, Dunbartonshire (1895); Tighnabruaich House, Argyll (1895); Remodelling of Knockderry Castle and lodge, Cove, Dunbartonshire (1895); Viewfield House and lodge, Stirling, Stirlingshire (1897); Auchenbothie House and estate buildings, Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire (1898); Dhuhill House lodge, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1898); Supervision of remodeling and decoration of banqueting hall, Glasgow City Chambers (1898); Red Towers, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1898); Stable block at Redholm, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1898); Remodelling of Ballimore House in Otter Ferry, Loch Fyne, Argyll (1899); Barnlongart, Ballimore Estate, Loch Fyne, Argyll (1899); Interior of NMS Regele Carol I for the Romanian Navy (1899); Ard Choille House, Clynder, Dunbartonshire (1900); Ard Luss, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1900); Watermill, Glendaruel House, Kilmodan, Argyll (1901); Mar Gate in Stirling, Stirlingshire (1901); Museum at Marden House, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1902); St James' Church, Kilmacolm, Renfrewshire (1902); Remodelling of Glendaruel Inn, Kilmodan, Argyll (1903); Morar House and outbuildings, Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1903); Offices at 153 St Vincent Street, Glasgow (1904); Argyll Mansions, shop and tenement on corner of Argyll Street and George Street in Oban, Argyll (1905); Three house at Rockbank in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1906); Uplands, 15 Abercromby Drive, Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire (1907); Polkemmet in Helensburgh, Dunbartonshire (1908); and Alterations and additions to Rossdhu House in Luss, Argyll (c.1909).
For further details on architectural works by William Leiper see:
'Men who build,' Builders Journal 12 January 1898 pp. 487-488
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 2: L-Z. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
Green, Simon. ‘Kinlochmoidart House, Lochaber - 1’ [Architect William Leiper] Country Life vol. 192, no. 33, 13 August 1998 pp. 50-53
Green, Simon. ‘Kinlochmoidart House, Lochaber - 2' [Architect William Leiper]. Country Life vol. 192, no. 34, 20 August 1998 pp. 36-41.
Green, Simon. ‘William Leiper's churches’. Architectural Heritage no. 12, 2001, pp. 38-51.
Green, Simon. ‘William Leiper's houses in Helensburgh, by Simon Green, Architectural Heritage no. 3, 1992 pp. 32-42
‘Obituary’ The Builder vol. 110, 2 June p. 409
‘Obituary’ RIBA Journal vol. 23, 1916, p. 302