With some referring to it as the “Golden Turd”, it's safe to say the boldly-designed hotel development is not going to be universally admired – but that’s nothing new.We’ve had a trawl through the archives to find out what city residents made of 12 well-loved Edinburgh landmarks at the time when they were constructed. Spoiler alert: the response wasn’t always positive.
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. The Balmoral
Ahead of its completion in 1902, heritage watchdog the Cockburn Association were horrified at the scale of the new North British Station Hotel (now The Balmoral) on Princes Street. They would later come to recognise it as a “friendly monster”. Photo: Creative Commons
. Ross Fountain
When the Ross Fountain was erected, the conservative-minded Dean Ramsay of nearby St John’s Church was vehemently opposed to it. Ramsay labelled the nude figures on the structure as “grossly indencent and disgusting; insulting and offensive to the moral feelings of the community and disgraceful to the city”. Photo: Creative Commons
. Donaldson's School
When Queen Victoria opened the former Donaldson’s School in 1850, she liked it so much, Her Majesty is reported as having said the building was more impressive than many of her own palaces and that she would have preferred to stay there than at Holyrood. Photo: Creative Commons
9. Usher Hall
Hard to believe today, but at the time of the Usher Hall’s inception, it had fierce critics, who believed the “amenity of the district would be destroyed”. One citizen remarked that the Lord Provost and architects responsible for the new build should be forced to occupy the houses at each side of the hall. Photo: Creative Commons
10. The National Monument
Now a much-loved tourist attraction, the National Monument didn’t receive its moniker “Edinburgh's Disgrace” for nothing. Built to honour the fallen of the Napoleonic Wars, the architects had intended for the structure to be a replica of the Parthenon of Athens, however, the funds ran dry and the work only partially completed. Photo: Creative Commons
11. The suburbs
Edinburgh expanded outwards in the 19th century with the creation of new suburbs and grand villas. A major critic of this growing trend was author Robert Louis Stevenson, who often wrote of his disgust at the city’s vanishing green and open spaces he knew from his childhood. Photo: Creative Commons
12. Waverley expansion
The plan to build the Edinburgh to Glasgow railway through Princes Street Gardens caused great controversy. Local residents led by heritage campaigner Lord Cockburn were in stern opposition to the proposals, which were debated at length in parliament. Photo: Creative Commons