After the completion of Gilmerton junction, 1989 saw the finishing touches applied to Edinburgh’s new ring road – the A720 City Bypass. In the city centre, new developments included a new financial hub, Saltire Court, being constructed at the notorious Castle Terrace gap-site, and the city’s first ever purpose-built mosque in the Southside.
There was drama on the football pitch, too. Hearts came agonisingly close to reaching the UEFA Cup semis, narrowly losing out over two legs against German powerhouse Bayern Munich following a 1-0 win at Tynecastle.
Towards the end of the year, there was sadness. In October, the Guthrie Street gas explosion caused the collapse of a tenement, claiming the lives of 21-year-old student Nicola Donnelly and 35-year-old lecturer Peter Small.
Have a look through our photo gallery for a nostalgic trip back to 1989.
9. Morrison Street 1989
The Morrison Street/Haymarket gap-site showing the CDL car park, in Edinburgh, October 1989. Photo: Bill Stout
10. Students in Edinburgh University library 1989
Students in the University of Edinburgh library in George Square 1989. Photo: Denis Straughan
11. Nurses home at ERI 1989
The Florence Nightingale Nurses Home in the grounds of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary in Lauriston Place. Picture taken November 1989. Photo: Bill Stout
12. The Fairer Sax in Cavalcade 1989
Members of The Fairer Sax, an all-girl saxophone band, take part in a windy Evening News Cavalcade in Princes Street Edinburgh, August 1989. Photo: Alan Ledgerwood Derek McNaughton