Caring for city’s heritage

Number of buildings on At Risk Register has decreased in a decade

ACCORDING TO figures released by The City of Edinburgh Council, only two Category ‘A’ listed buildings will remain ‘at risk’ in the World Heritage Site once current or planned restoration work is complete which they say is down 14 from a decade ago.

In 2012, there were 16 Category ‘A’ listed buildings on the Buildings at Risk Register (BARR), which has been maintained by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) since 1990.

The buildings, which are deemed to be of ‘international significance’ and include Riddle’s Court,

Acheson House and the former Donaldson’s School for the Deaf, have been repaired, refurbished and brought back into public use, following long periods lying vacant.

The Virgin Hotel development in the Old Town, which is due for completion in the spring, will remove four buildings from the register, including the landmark India Buildings and the 160 year old Cowgatehead Free Church, while the globally renowned Old Royal High School on Regent Terrace has planning permission in place to bring it back into use as a music school, saving five buildings in the process.

Planning Convener Neil Gardiner said: “We work extremely hard with our partners, including Edinburgh

World Heritage and Historic Environment Scotland to protect our historic built environment, and with owners to support them to find the best outcome for their properties.

“Over the last ten years, we’ve helped developers make the best and most sympathetic use of many of our globally significant and architecturally stunning buildings so they can be enjoyed now and for future generations to come.

“You only have to walk around the centre of our beautiful Capital city to see the progress being made and restoration works completed on the ground to breathe new life into these historic and iconic buildings.

“The plan for the Old Royal High School is a fantastic example of this, restoring it to its original glory as a place of learning for our young people. And, I’ve been very impressed by work on the upper floors of 30 Princes Street as a hotel with restoration of the gilded globe roof sculpture on the corner of the former Forsyth’s department store.

“It’s also good to see several properties in central Edinburgh restored to residential use and that Scottish Historic Buildings Trust is using the picturesque Category ‘A’ listed merchant’s tenement, Riddle’s Court, in the Lawnmarket as their headquarters.”