An iconic 18th century building on Edinburgh's Calton Hill could be brought back into residential use following a two-year restoration project.

Old Observatory House is renowned as the finest surviving residential building designed by James Craig, the famed 18th century 'architect of the New Town'.

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

Restoration work began in late 2007 and is now approaching completion. It is anticipated that the building will be returned to the Council in early November.

At next week's meeting of the Council's Culture and Leisure Committee (17 November), members will be asked to approve a plan to lease the property to the Vivat Trust for the provision of holiday accommodation and regular access by the general public.

-- Advertisement --

Councillor Deidre Brock, Culture and Leisure Convenor, said: "The Old Observatory House is probably the finest surviving building by the architect James Craig, occupying a stunning position on Calton Hill overlooking Edinburgh's Old Town and is now preserved for future generations.

"The proposal to lease the property to the Vivat Trust will ensure that the newly restored and historically significant house is inhabited again for the first time in more than two decades, and is open to the public for the first time since the early 1800s."

Apart from its architectural importance, Old Observatory has great heritage value since it was built as the first Observatory on the Calton Hill, though it was used for observing for only a short period and was always also a family house.

When the main Old City Observatory building was built by W H Playfair in 1818, Old Observatory House was briefly the 'popular observatory' as opposed to the 'scientific observatory' in the new building. This is probably the last time it was really ever publicly accessible. It then became accommodation for the astronomers and was rented out in the 20th century.

(GK/BMcC)