Mercifully, 1984 didn’t turn out to be quite as bleak as George Orwell predicted in his famous dystopian novel – but half a decade into the Thatcher era and unemployment was sky high in the UK.
In Edinburgh, Waverley Market and Cameron Toll shopping centres opened their doors, while the city had a visit from a man who would turn out to be the last ever leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev.
Take a look through our photo gallery to see what Edinbugh life was like back in 1984.
Take a look through our photo gallery to see what Edinbugh life was like back in 1984.