Statement: Royal High School Proposed Move

Statement from William Gray Muir, Chairman of the Royal High School Preservation Trust, and Dr Kenneth Taylor, Headteacher of St Mary’s Music School, in light of the City of Edinburgh’s decision to reject plans for a hotel on the Calton Hill site.

William Gray Muir, Chairman of the Royal High School Preservation Trust, said:

“We were impressed by the seriousness of the debate and the important questions which were aired. The Council’s decision today makes it possible for us to pursue our proposals to return the former Royal High School building to its rightful position at the cultural heart of Edinburgh with public performance spaces and a state-of-the-art new home for St Mary’s Music School. The Royal High School is an iconic building and a unique location and we are delighted that the Council has acknowledged its important place in Edinburgh’s illustrious heritage.”

Dr Kenneth Taylor, Headteacher of St Mary’s Music School, said:

“The school is conscious that the Royal High School Preservation Trust’s proposal to move St Mary’s Music School to the former Royal High School building would succeed only if the local authority opted to reject planning approval for an alternative commercial proposal for the site. We are pleased that councillors have taken that decision today. We are confident that the RHSPT’s proposal provides a far closer match with the architectural and cultural significance of the unique site and, with the backing of bodies like Edinburgh World Heritage, we are hopeful that it will secure the go-ahead from councillors as quickly as possible.”