An historic building in Edinburgh is to be transformed into an arts hotel with public gallery space.

The A-listed former Royal High School building on Calton Hill, which has be out of public use for almost 40 years, will undergo a £35m redevelopment.

The City of Edinburgh Council have awarded the project to Duddingston House Properties.

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They will now submit revamp designs.

Council leader Jenny Dawe said: "I very much look forward to seeing the proposed designs, which will allow this wonderful building to be brought respectfully into the 21st Century.

"Arts hotels have proved themselves to be extremely popular in major cities around the world and this development will bring much-needed additional hotel capacity to the city while complementing Edinburgh's unique cultural offering."

The council will still own the building, which dates back to 1829, but will lease it out.

The building has been largely unused since the Royal High School relocated in 1968.

(GK)