Brothel to see new action as museum

Acheson House has been in a state of disrepair for years

Now a former Old Town brothel is to undergo a major refurbishment project to transform it into a popular museum attraction.

Acheson House is the subject of a 500,000 project to revive its historic interior and allow visitors to enter its doors for the first time in many years.

The A-listed Canongate townhouse was restored in 1937 by Robert Hurd, the renowned conservationist, but has fallen into disrepair in recent years and has been on the Scottish Civic Trust's buildings at-risk register for some time.

Emergency repairs to the 17th- century building's roof were carried out last year with a 40,000 grant from Edinburgh World Heritage.

Special stone slates which had not been produced in half a century were sourced from Carmyllie in Angus, allowing the exterior of the building to be protected.

Now, as part of the new project, work on the interior floors will be replaced, along with the modernisation of heating and electrics.

Plans to revitalise Acheson House have been dropped due to funding shortages on a number of occasions, but the city council, which owns the building, now aims to link it to the Musuem of Edinburgh.

Adam Wilkinson, director of Edinburgh World Heritage, said that the restoration would soon allow the public to visit the impressive building.

He said: "Acheson House is a lovely building and a fine example of pre-New Town Edinburgh. It has these wonderful small garden courtyards just off the mains streets and is quintessentially Edinburgh.

"We provided 40,000 for the repair of the roof and exterior and are delighted to have been part of the project. I'm sure the end result will be an impressive attraction for visitors."

Acheson House was built between 1633 and 1634 for Sir Archibald Acheson, who was King Charles I's Secretary of State for Scotland. Later, in the 18th century, it was divided for use as a tenement property and it became a notorious brothel in the 1830s and 1840s.

Its seedy past was exposed in the memoirs of Edinburgh policeman Inspector McLevy, who referred to a raid on the "Cock and Trumpet" - the motto inscribed on the original Acheson family crest above the doorway.

Councillor Deidre Brock, the city's culture convener, said: "Acheson House is one of Edinburgh's most significant historic buildings and this crucial capital investment will help guarantee its future for generations to come.

"The council's long-term plans for the building will see it combined with Huntly House to create a superb museum telling Edinburgh's story from its early beginnings to the present day."