Hotel developers positive about bringing "world-class hotel" to Edinburgh following inquiry

Developers behind controversial plans to create a luxury hotel on the site of the Old Royal High School in Edinburgh are confident that they will be able to proceed with their plans.

Duddingston House Properties and Urbanist Hotels commented following the completion of a month-long public inquiry undertaken by the Scottish government into the proposed development.

The developers want to transform the historic A-listed property - designed by Thomas Hamilton in 1826 - into a 127-bedroom hotel, which would be operated by Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.

Members of the City of Edinburgh have already twice turned down plans to develop a "world-class hotel" on the site. Opponents of the scheme said that the proposal was unsuitable for a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Meanwhile, alternative plans to develop a music school within the building are in place.

David Orr, co-founder of Urbanist Hotels, said: "We are, as we always have been, very positive about bringing this world-class hotel development, and its associated investment and jobs, to Edinburgh, and to Scotland.

"The inquiry clearly presented a wide range of positive evidence from a large array of witnesses in support of the hotel proposal, and we remain steadfast in our view that it provided the right forum to discuss such a complex, emotive and divisive issue."

The findings of the public inquiry, which ended on Tuesday, are expected to be announced in spring 2019.

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