Fresh water: Edinburgh’s Royal Commonwealth Pool opens its doors after a massive refurb, and doesn’t disappoint

IT’S amazing what you end up doing when you have children.

Before it closed for refurbishment, it didn’t seem even remotely odd to pitch up at The Royal Commonwealth Pool at 8:30 every Saturday morning for the only swimming class we could find with spaces. My eldest daughter, Eve, now swims competitively with Midlothian swimming club, something I put down entirely to those early morning starts and the great teaching she received from the staff there.

She gained in confidence week by week, while we watched on from the poolside, perched on rickety orange stackable chairs, cheek by jowl with other parents. Our youngest, Hope, always believed she could do everything her elder sister did, and you guessed it, 8:30am on a Sunday was the only class with spaces left. Suffice to say, the Commie Pool was a major part of our weekly routine and we have missed it for the past two years. So we were keen to see the £37 million makeover at the earliest opportunity.

First impressions are good. It’s very open, spacious and clean, the familiar Commie Pool odour has vanished along with the tired changing area. In its place are roomy, family friendly changing areas, large opaque glass-fronted lockers which take a pound coin, working showers, free-use hairdryers and handy swimsuit spinners. The teaching pool has underwater cameras for safety and the parental seating now comprises a full-length tiled bench. The pool even has a moveable floor.

The diving pool is amazing, full of game people taking the plunge. There are free public coaching sessions each Friday from 6pm-7pm and Saturday 10am-11am, so perhaps the next Tom Daly will be discovered. The new diving board arrangement means the Commie can host major events such as the Commonwealth Games diving event in2014.

The main pool is eight lanes wide and 50 metres in length. However, it can be divided in two, with the depth being altered by a moveable floor. We just missed out on the aquarun session, where you can race over an inflatable course across the width of the pool. It is scheduled for every Friday 1pm-3pm, and Saturday and Sunday 2pm-4pm. During the session the other half of the pool is available for general use and lane swimming. It is inevitable that there will be birth pains, but it has been worth the wait – the A-listed building is looking good for her age.

Upstairs, Clambers, the soft play emporium, features bright, new play equipment, and offers an ideal way to amuse the under-nines. Refresh cafe offers a better catering experience, while the pesky vending machines are hidden from sight.

• Tel: [phone], www.thecommiepool.co.uk, an adult swim costs £5.50 and a family swim (two adults and up to four children) is £13. Discounts are available with a leisure card; www.midlothian swimmingclub.co.uk