Scotsman Steps

Edinburgh World Heritage and the City of Edinburgh Council are funding a survey of The Scotsman Steps to help plan possible future improvements.

The Scotsman Steps provide a pedestrian link between the North Bridge and the Scotsman Hotel, and Market Street below. When the building was the head office for The Scotsman newspaper, the steps were a busy access between the print works and the railway station, but their deteriorating condition has been a concern for many years. 

David McDonald, Project Manager with Edinburgh World Heritage said: “I think it’s fair to say that a lot of people avoid using the Scotsman Steps because of the perceived safety, lighting, and litter problems. Improvements will be just as much about finding solutions for the management of the space as the physical restoration of the steps.”

Substantial repairs are required to the external stonework, along with re-pointing and addressing problems with drainage. Decorative wrought iron grilles in some of the windows will be repaired, and new gates to control access may be required. New internal lighting will also provide an opportunity to enhance the impression and character of the steps.

Anja Amsel of the Edinburgh Old Town Association said: “We very much welcome the fact that the issue of The Scotsman Steps may finally be resolved.  We, among other have long campaigned for improvements to this prominent and neglected site.  It is to be hoped that the survey will be the first part of a regeneration process for this important Edinburgh location."

In addition to suggesting repairs, the survey will also assess how features could be made of the redundant internal door and arched window bays within the steps.  One possibility that will be looked at is to encase these features in well-lit toughened glass casing, as an opportunity for interpretation panels describing the history of the steps.

History of the Scotsman Steps
In 1898 John Ritchie & Co, the proprietors of The Scotsman, bought an extensive plot of land on the west side of the North Bridge as a new location for the headquarters of the newspaper.

The architects Dunn & Findlay were commissioned to design a complex of buildings for the site including offices, print works and commercial premises. What became known as the Scotsman Steps were an important part of the design, as they gave direct access to the lower levels of the building, and to the newspaper’s own private siding at Waverley Station.