Artistic designs on Royal High

Now, more than 40 years since it was last in public use, it looks as if the future of one of the city's most iconic buildings has finally been settled upon.

The former Royal High School on Calton Hill is set to be redeveloped into an "arts hotel".

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The development would include a restaurant, cafe and public gallery space where long-stay art pieces and temporary exhibitions could be viewed by the public.

The council has said it is minded to award selected bidder status to the proposals by Duddingston House Properties for the 35 million project to bring the imposing A-listed building back into public use for the first time since 1968.

It is one of two bidders left in the process to find a new use for the iconic landmark, with the other bid also looking at developing a hotel on the site, as well as conference facilities and offices.

The council will now enter a formal ten-day period to allow both bidders the opportunity to request further details on the selection process if they wish.

Assuming there is no challenge to the decision to press ahead with the plans for an arts hotel, Duddingston House Properties will work in conjunction with Gareth Hoskins Architects and Castle Hotel Management Company on the project.

Council leader Jenny Dawe welcomed the proposal.

She said: "This is a hugely exciting development for one of Edinburgh's, and Scotland's, best loved landmarks, particularly as it will bring the former Royal High back into public use.

"The development will form an integral part of the city's string of pearls project and I very much look forward to seeing the proposed designs.

"Arts hotels have proved themselves to be extremely popular in major cities around the world and this development will bring much-needed additional hotel capacity to the city, while complementing Edinburgh's unique cultural offering."

Having occupied the south face of Calton Hill since 1829, the Royal High School relocated to larger modern premises at Barnton in 1968.

Mooted as a possible base for the Scottish Parliament prior to the building of Holyrood, the former school has lain under-utilised since.

In May last year, the council took the decision to find a long-term use for the site and will offer a long lease to the successful bidder. The building will remain in the ownership of the city.

The selection procedure prompted initial interest from 53 companies, which were subsequently whittled down to the final two.

The rules of the selection process mean that representatives of Duddingston House Properties were unable to comment on the decision to name them as a selected bidder, but they were said to be "delighted" by the news.

HISTORY LESSON

THE A-listed Royal High School building was developed between 1826 and 1829 at a cost to the council of 34,000.

The school relocated to modern premises at Barnton in 1968, and since then the building has been unused.

In 1994 Edinburgh council reacquired the complex from the Scottish Office for 1.75 million, and it was suggested as the ideal home for the Scottish Parliament, until the decision to site a new parliament at Holyrood.

Since then numerous plans have been mooted, amongst them a bid to create a "story of Scotland" military museum.

Most recently, the site looked destined to be the home of the Hill-Adamson National Photography Centre.

Funding for the 20m project could not be agreed, however, and concern over the state of the building prompted the council to start the search for a long-term, sustainable business use.