Prestigious Edinburgh property with link to First Minister's Bute House to undergo restoration
The property next to the First Minister’s official residence, Bute House, will undergo an extensive renovation
One of Edinburgh’s most prestigious addresses will be restored under plans to use the building as a major office for the National Trust for Scotland.
Number 5 Charlotte Square, which is situated immediately next to the First Minister’s official residence Bute House, will be overhauled under the decision.
Works will include repairing the external fabric of the building, situated at the heart of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site.
A lift will be installed and solar panels will be fitted, while the inside of the building will be fitted out to become an office for the conservation charity.
The National Trust said entry to the property was expected late next year. The overall cost of the works is expected to be about £4 million.
Stuart Maxwell, regional director for Edinburgh & East, who is leading the project, said: “This is an ambitious refurbishment project of an incredibly important heritage building, designed in the 18th century by Robert Adam, and in the heart of the World Heritage Site of the New Town.
“Our works will create a modern and functional workspace that preserves and highlights the building's historic significance and charm and adheres to exemplary heritage and building conservation standards.”
No.5 Charlotte Square had originally been leased by NTS as their HQ from 1949, until the charity relocated to the other side of the square in 1999.
Extensive repairs will also be carried out at the NTS’s Georgian House, at No 7 Charlotte Square, which lies to the other side of Bute House.
The historic property, where the Lamont family once entertained guests surrounded by the works of renowned Scottish artists Allan Ramsay, Henry Raeburn and Alexander Nasmyth, will remain open to the public throughout the works.
The restoration works will be managed by contractors Morris & Spottiswood Group.
Paul Beaton, development director at Morris & Spottiswood, said "This appointment reinforces our position as a leading heritage contractor. Working on such an iconic building in Charlotte Square, while managing the many facets of a project of this scale and profile, showcases our expertise in complex listed building projects."
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