Edinburgh Retro: 27 fascinating photos of St Andrew Square bus station through the years

It has been been a key part of Edinburgh’s transport system for nearly 70 years - but this week fears were raised that the bus station in St Andrew Square could be forced to close as the owners, pension fund Coal Pension Properties, were unwilling to renew the lease.

An apparent change of heart by the fund has opened the door to talks with the council on extending the lease when it expires in 2027 or even selling the site to the council, but the situation remains uncertain.

Here is a selection of nostalgic pictures from the Evening News archive of the bus station over the years, going back to before its official opening in 1957.

The Evening News of October 31, 1956 reported: “The long-awaited bus station of Scottish Omnibuses Ltd, Clyde Street, Edinburgh, which will mean the end of their many years of operation from stances in St Andrew Square, is almost ready for occupation.

“The new bus station, which will meet the ever-growing needs of a bus-travelling public, will provide covered accommodation for the thousands of people who come and go from Edinburgh by bus daily. It has a series of platforms for passengers, and these platforms are linked by subways.

“Before the official opening takes place work must completed on the colonnades, which are to match in with other features in St Andrew Square. There has been considerable delay in approval of the plans for this colonnade.”

The bus station in its current form opened in February 2003 after a major redevelopment of the site and surrounding area, which included the building of Harvey Nichols and Multrees Walk.