Nostalgia: St Andrew Square

IT’S hard to remember what St Andrew Square looked like ten years ago, when there was little reason for going there other than to catch a bus or cash a cheque.

Over the last decade, however, it’s seen a raft of changes, including the sprouting of a people-friendly public square, the modernisation of the bus station, ongoing tram works and, last but far from least, the fashion meccas of Harvey Nichols and Multrees Walk.

As our pictures show, the square has changed shape constantly through the years.

The home of financial institutions such as the Royal Bank of Scotland and Caledonian Insurance in the 20th century, its claim to fame is now most definitely the world-renowned department store Harvey Nichols, which was this week celebrating its tenth

anniversary.

The £10 million store – the company’s only one in Scotland – was unwrapped in August 2002, an event marked by appearances from the likes of Ewan McGregor, Jenny Frost and Meg Matthews.

But the square – which was home to philosopher David Hume and inventor Henry Brougham – hasn’t always been a star attraction. In the 1960s, other than bankers, the area featured mainly holidaymakers flocking to the bus station.

Our pictures show the bus station under construction in 1956, with a £4 million revamp freshening up its frontage and passenger waiting area in 2003.