Around town: Villa to get new life as a hotel

ANOTHER Victorian villa in West Coates is set to be transformed into a hotel.

Architects firm McLaren, Murdoch & Hamilton have applied to turn their offices at 2 West Coates into a hotel, with plans to demolish existing outbuildings to make way for a sympathetic two storey extension on the side.

The extension will be given a natural slate finish to match the existing building.

The upstairs floors have already been converted for hotel use from its previous use as a restaurant.

Workshop is in good voice

There will be a workshop to explore the female voice, movement and painting at Art's Complex on London Road on Thursday.

The workshop runs from 7pm until 9.15pm and will use female singing voices to inspire the use of colour, movement and words as participants paint.

New Puffin crossings to be installed

THE city council is to carry out work to establish two new Puffin crossings and install a large traffic island on Gilmerton Road.

Work on the site, which the council is currently looking for contractors to undertake, is expected to go ahead later this year and will make the busy road more pedestrian friendly.

The Puffin crossings, which are set to cost around 100,000, are the latest stage of traffic calming measures.

Cafe plans brewed up for shop

BITSY Adam's gift shop in Mayfield is set to be turned into a cafe.

A similar application was made in 1999 for the Mayfield Road unit but it was withdrawn in favour of retaining its use as a shop. It still contains the original ventilation system.

Models tread Hatwalk boards

THE popular Hatwalk charity fashion show is this year raising money for new charity It's Good 2 Give! set up by fundraiser of the year, Lynne McNicoll, left.

The event is on September 11 at Stewart's Melville College, will feature catwalk performances by 30 models.

Event looks to carve out funds for sculpture

A FUNDRAISING appeal to pay for a giant sculpture of a running man to be placed in Craiglockhart will get a boost from a table-top sale on Saturday.

The sculpture by Lara Greene, titled One More Spring, is inspired by the work of war poet Wilfred Owen, who was a patient at nearby Craiglockhart Hospital.

The community council hopes the sale will help pay for the sculpture to be put up at Happy Valley shops. It will be held at Craiglockhart Church Hall from 11am until 2pm.

Gotham on hunt for kits

A SUNDAY league team has launched an appeal for strips for the new season.

Gotham City FC, which plays in the Lothians and Edinburgh Amateur Football Association Sunday Morning Division, is hoping to get its hands on new kits.

Contact captain Al Houston on 07827926007.

ANOTHER Victorian villa in West Coates is set to be transformed into a hotel.

Architects firm McLaren, Murdoch & Hamilton have applied to turn their offices at 2 West Coates into a hotel, with plans to demolish existing outbuildings to make way for a sympathetic two-storey extension on the side.

The extension will be given a natural slate finish to match the existing building.

The upstairs floors have already been converted for hotel use from its previous use as a restaurant.

The offices are currently sandwiched between the Cumberland Hotel and the Dunstane House Hotel, while the Original Raj Hotel is a just a few yards up the road.

The current hotels on West Coates are particularly popular with visiting rugby fans due to their location on the main road between Murrayfield and Edinburgh city centre.