Edinburgh needs vision and leadership to revitalise old Royal High school building and Ross Bandstand site – Scotsman comment

It is now more than 50 years since the old Royal High School in Edinburgh was actually used as a school.

The former Royal High School on Calton Hill has been largely empty for more than half a century. (Picture: Steven Scott Taylor)

And yet still efforts to find a permanent use for this stunning building in the heart of Edinburgh, one of the worlds must beautiful cities, continue.

Now a bold plan to replace the ageing Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens – another place that makes Scotland’s Capital special and important on a global scale as recognised in its status as a World Heritage Site – looks set to fail with the charitable trust behind the £25 million Quaich Project signalling it is ready to walk away because of a lack of support for the scheme.

The closure of Jenners means another icon of Edinburgh could be at risk – although with Danish billionaire Anders Povlsen as its owner it surely will not suffer anything like the length of disuse as the former Royal High building.

Clearly, all three are hugely important to Edinburgh, but we cannot allow their significance to become an obstacle to progress. We cannot be so afraid of getting things wrong that we fail to do anything at all.

The old Royal High and Ross Bandstand sites need to be renewed so that they can be used and enjoyed by generations of people to come.

What Edinburgh needs is the vision and leadership to find solutions. If we get it wrong, at least future generations will give us credit for trying. Or are we to allow the Royal High to continue to lie forlorn and forsaken for another 50 years?