Observatory House holiday home a top spot for festivities

Main, the view from Old Observatory House, which has been decorated by Chris Clodge, ahead of being put up for rent

Old Observatory House on Calton Hill has been turned into a holiday home which is likely to be one of the most sought after in the Capital.

And bidders are expected to snap up some of the first weeks in the home, which will be available in the festive season.

The observatory will offer some of the best views of Edinburgh's New Year festivities, looking across to the Castle and down on to Princes Street.

The house will be available to rent over Christmas, from December 20 to 26, for 1395, and it can also be rented over New Year from December 27 to January 2 for 1530.

Bookings are expected to start in a few days, with the festive weeks expected to be the first snapped up.

The Vivat Trust have spent the last year working on the interior of the building to make it habitable, and have already completed the top floor.

That will be available to rent from December, before the building closes again briefly to allow the rest of the work to be finished, with the entire property set to go on the market from Easter next year.

The trust specialises in transforming historic buildings into holiday homes, and has properties across the UK.

But Laura Norris, executive director of the Vivat Trust, admitted the demand for Old Observatory House was likely to outstrip anything it had seen before.

"I imagine the interest in this property will be phenomenal, as it is quite simply a stunning location, and an incredible building," she said. "We took part in the recent Doors Open Day to show people what we had done so far, and the interest was far greater than we expected. We had about 2000 people through the doors.

"We ran out of everything - brochures, leaflets, business cards - and this will be a much sought-after property."

Old Observatory House on Calton Hill is renowned as one of architect James Craig's finest buildings. Built between 1776 and 1793, the building was the first observatory on Calton Hill, and is one of the few remaining buildings built by Craig.

It was only used for observation for a short period and was always also a family house.

The building was last lived in during the 1980s, by which time it had become dilapidated and riddled with various types of rot. By 2002, the building was on Historic Scotland's Buildings at Risk Register.

A major project to restore the building was completed in 2009, before the council agreed to lease the property to the Vivat Trust. It has since worked on the interior, fitting a kitchen and new bathrooms, as well as redecorating bedrooms.

The city's leisure leader, Councillor Deidre Brock, said: "I can think of few better locations from which to enjoy the fireworks or, indeed, to celebrate Hogmanay."

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