Tartan Weaving Mill, Castlehill

Posted on: August 8, 2024

A welcome heritage addition to the city centre

Address: 555 Castlehill Edinburgh EH1 2ND

Proposal: Exterior alterations to reduce the size of the existing goods entrance and create a new pedestrian entrance to the visitor attraction and retail space etc.

Reference: 24/03193/FUL

Closing date for comments: Wed 09 Aug 2024

Determination date: Mon 09 Sep 2024

Cockburn Response

The Cockburn supports this application.

The Castlehill Tartan Weaving Mill, which was originally a water storage site, was converted into a shopping complex in 1995. It now has four floors dedicated to retail spaces and an underground weaving mill attraction that is currently inactive.

The present single entry and exit point frequently experiences heavy traffic. Should this application be approved, it will introduce an additional entry point on Ramsay Lane, which is expected to improve the movement of people both inside and outside the structure and its surroundings.

In the plan, the museum will undergo reconstruction to narrate and interpret the story of a significant element of the city’s public health legacy and the building’s initial function in delivering clean water from the Pentland hills to support the city industrial sector and eliminate illness. This is a particularly welcome addition to the heritage resources in the city centre.