Scotland’s capital is renowned around the world for its magnificent architecture, but it’s fair to say there are plenty buildings within the city boundary that divide opinion.
We put a shout out online asking locals to come forward and nominate the Capital “carbuncles” they’d like to see vanish from the cityscape for good. They really didn’t hold back.
From the vast post-war office block Argyle House to the modernist Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, we take a look at 9 Edinburgh buildings that some locals would like to see levelled to the ground.
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. Argyle House
Argyle House is considered by many to be a blot on the cityscape of central Edinburgh. Photo: Phil Wilkinson
1. Jury's Inn
Wedged between turreted and crow-stepped Victorian era tenements, the vast Jury's Inn has stuck out like a sore thumb since it was built in the 1960s and is considered by many to be one of the ugliest buildings in the Old Town. Its location on Jeffrey Street overlooking the Waverley valley makes it hard to ignore. Photo: Ian Georgeson
2. Appleton Tower
It's often said the best views in the Capital are to be had from the University of Edinburgh's Appleton Tower. Why? Because you can't see the Appleton Tower. Photo: Cate Gillon
3. Argyle House
Given its proximity to Edinburgh Castle and the heart of the city's Old Town, it's hard to believe Argyle House, in all its concrete, steel and glass enormity, was ever built in the first place. Photo: PHIL WILKINSON
4. Scottish Parliament
Some regard it a masterpiece of modern architecture, but it seems there are plenty of locals who would pay good money to watch the late Enric Miralles' award-winning Scottish Parliament being razed to the ground. Photo: Kenny Smith