Take a look through our gallery to see 18 photos of Edinburgh in 1981. Pictured here is a tourist takeing a picture of Greyfriars Bobby. after vandals threw white paint over the statue in May 1981. A tourist takes a picture of Bobby.Take a look through our gallery to see 18 photos of Edinburgh in 1981. Pictured here is a tourist takeing a picture of Greyfriars Bobby. after vandals threw white paint over the statue in May 1981. A tourist takes a picture of Bobby.
Take a look through our gallery to see 18 photos of Edinburgh in 1981. Pictured here is a tourist takeing a picture of Greyfriars Bobby. after vandals threw white paint over the statue in May 1981. A tourist takes a picture of Bobby.

Edinburgh in the 80s: 18 nostalgic photos transporting you back to Edinburgh in 1981

Gary Flockhart
By Gary Flockhart

Lifestyle Editor

Published 1st Mar 2024, 14:30 BST
Updated 2nd Mar 2024, 08:16 BST
Here, we take a nostalgic look back at what Edinburgh life was like in 1981

Back in 1981, there was plenty of change in the city of Edinburgh as the nation settled into an economically uncertain new decade.

A number of city institutions – among them the RW Forsyth department store on Princes Street, the Ritz Cinema on Rodney Street and jewellers Abbott of Greyfriars, sadly closed their doors. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom, as our photos show.

Take a look through our picture gallery to see 18 snapshots of Edinburgh in 1981.

Take a look through our picture gallery to see 18 snapshots of Edinburgh in 1981.

Norman MacCaig (1910-1996) was one of the major Scottish poets of the twentieth century. Pictured here beside a portrait of himself at the National Portrait Gallery, Queen Street, Edinburgh. September 1981.

17. Norman MacCaig, 1981

Norman MacCaig (1910-1996) was one of the major Scottish poets of the twentieth century. Pictured here beside a portrait of himself at the National Portrait Gallery, Queen Street, Edinburgh. September 1981. Photo: Joe Steele

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Team-mate Roy Laidlaw goes after the ball passed out by Jim Calder (no 9) during the Scotland v Australia international rugby match at Murrayfield in December 1981. The final score was 24-15 for Scotland.

18. Scotland v Australia 1981

Team-mate Roy Laidlaw goes after the ball passed out by Jim Calder (no 9) during the Scotland v Australia international rugby match at Murrayfield in December 1981. The final score was 24-15 for Scotland. Photo: Alan Ledgerwood Bill Stout

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