School is in use

Like everyone else who has written about the lovely old Royal High School building in recent days, you call it "empty and unused". However, I have just arrived home from my work as a tutor in the antechamber, next door to the proposed parliament chamber. The Edinburgh University Settlement (EUS) has been based in the Royal High for several years, running classes for adults with learning difficulties, learners who need to brush up their skills and students wanting to improve their English. As well as EUS, there are quite a few other organisations based in the old classrooms. It's a busy, thriving and happy place to work. Please come and see for yourself and try to imagine how irritating it is to read daily about it being empty.

WYN CAMPBELL

Hopetoun Street

Edinburgh

David J Black (Letters, 8 February) makes a plea for the retention of the old Royal High School building, and seems to regret that it may become a hotel.

Our city is strapped for cash, and selling this prime site would help – if an entrepreneur can be found with the necessary vision and courage.

It is to be hoped that no archaic planning regulations will be allowed to stand in the way of its development; after all, Edinburgh has more than its fair share of old, pillared porticoes.

A new world-class hotel, perhaps something like the recent Haymarket proposal, would be a building for the 21st century. For a prominent site like this, there can be no doubt that top-flight architects would be queuing up to submit their proposals.

Mr Black says the present old building has its admirers in the United States.

To make our American guests feel at home in the new hotel, perhaps the upper storeys could be adorned with a neon outline of the former pillared frontage under its new name – maybe something reminiscent of Las Vegas.

I suggest "Caesar's Palace".

JACK OLIVER

Dundas Street

Edinburgh