NEW plans to transform one of Edinburgh’s most impressive buildings have been released following a substantial donation from a charity.
The Royal High School building in the capital has sat empty for decades.
However, large-scale restoration work is set to transform it into the new National Centre for Music.
Earlier this year ambitious plans to turn the Royal High School into the new home of St Mary’s independent music school were scaled back due to spiralling costs.
But new visions for the National Centre of Music are set to become a reality after the Royal High School Preservation Trust received a £45 million grant from the Dunard Fund.
The existing building will be repurposed to feature spaces for education, community engagement and performance.
The ground will also be maintained as fully accessible public gardens.
Other highlights include the transformation of the auditorium, which at one time was designated for use as the home of the devolved Scottish Assembly.
Now, it will become a 300-seat concert hall with further performance and rehearsal spaces being created throughout the building.
A restaurant/café is also planned in the hopes of drawing more members of the public into the building.
Carol Grigor, an American philanthropist and former concert pianist, is the founder of the Dunard Fund – an organisation seeking to promote and advance the arts in Scotland.
She said: “The National Centre for Music will take its place confidently in Edinburgh’s cultural landscape, building on the city’s world-leading strengths as a UNESCO World Heritage City, a Festival City and a forward-looking city that creates opportunity.
“Dunard Fund is delighted to fund such a culturally significant project and one that will leave a lasting legacy not just for the Edinburgh region but for Scotland as a whole.”
Grigor is the daughter of Richard D Colburn. His electrical equipment wholesaler made the family one of the richest in America.
The plans come as the Royal High School Preservation Trust seeks to appoint a new Chair as William Gray Muir steps down after eight years in the role.
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Grant Mackenzie, CEO of the Royal High School Preservation Trust, said: “Our aspiration is for the National Centre for Music to become a world leading cultural venue for musicians, no matter their background.
“The new National Centre for Music will engage teachers, community music organisations and professional performers to inspire the joy of music, nurture skills and foster innovation. Thanks to the generosity of Dunard Fund, we’re progressing to make this vision a reality.”
A revised planning application for the new plans is due to be submitted by early 2024.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “We are aware of the proposed change to the scheme and remain supportive of a project which will preserve a key historical building in the city.”
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