Murrayfield Heritage in Pictures: Here are 23 fascinating photos of the stadium and its surroundings from the 1950s and 1960s

Murrayfield Stadium started life in the 1920s when the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) bought 19 acres of land from the Edinburgh Polo Club after raising cash through the sale of debentures.

It took two years to construct the first version of the ground – comprising a stand and three embankments – and the first international at Murrayfield was played on March 25, 1925 when Scotland defeated England to claim their first Five Nation’s Grand Slam.

In the intervening years, the stadium has mainly been used by the Scottish rugby union team, but has also been utilised for a range of other purposes – including as a supply depot for the Royal Army Service Corps during World War Two, as a temporary home for Hearts Football Club, a rugby league venue, and to host American Football matches played by the now-defunct Scottish Claymores.

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It has also seen some of the most famous faces in music, with gigs over the years from the likes of David Bowie, R.E.M., U2, Madonna, The Rolling Stones, The Spice Girls, Oasis, One Direction and Foo Fighters.

A record attendance of 104,000 watched Scotland defeat Wales in the Five Nations on March 1, 1975, and the crowd remains the largest ever to watch a European rugby union match.

Today, the BT Murrayfield Stadium holds 67,144 people making it the largest stadium in Scotland and the fifth largest in the UK.

A recent addition to the facility is the 7,800-capacity Hive ground on the back pitches that hosts Edinburgh Rugby’s home club games.

Nearby Murrayfield Ice Rink was built in the 1930s and is home to the Edinburgh Capitals Ice Hockey team, with room for 3,800 spectators and a separate seven-sheet curling rink which was added in the 1970s.

The sporting links stretch into Roseburn Park, sitting in the shadow of the stadium, which is home to the Murrayfield DAFS Cricket Club.

Here are 23 pictures from The Scotsman archives to take you back to the Murrayfield of the 1950s and 1960s.

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