Lessons from the Cowgate fire show Edinburgh’s resilience - Donald Anderson

That led to calls for the council chief executive Tom Aitchison to resign from his role as Returning Officer. I took a different view, and thankfully so because my relationship with Tom was critical in dealing with the other calamities Edinburgh was about to face.

In April 2000 came the two largest flood events in Edinburgh’s modern history as hundreds of homes flooded along the Water of Leith and Braid Burn.

Tragedy was averted at a second flood in November that year when the flood defences held. In November 2000 came the Gilmerton Limestone Mines collapse which affected hundreds of homes in south Edinburgh.

Then in December 2002 the Cowgate was struck by a devastating fire that started in Hastie’s Close and led to a swathe of buildings lost. The loss of more buildings on Chambers Street was only averted by outstanding work and bravery by Lothian and Borders Fire Service.

There followed more diligent work by council officers and property owners to deal with safety and demolition issues.

No doubt similar conversations will be happening now regarding Debenhams. I’m confident that the same sense of duty and concern for best interests of the public and the city will guide those discussions.

In the aftermath of the Cowgate fire assembling the site - which had nine different owners at the peak of a property boom - for redevelopment was done by one of the property industry’s most capable professionals.

John McGregor, a property surveyor, achieved an amazing result and enabled the plans (despite the 2008 crash), for the current hotel, office and shopping facilities to be progressed by the talented people at Jansons Property.

The new hotel and shops opened in 2014 and South Bridge has never been stronger. A vacant shop unit is a vanishingly rare sight these days.

The Cowgate fire is a potent reminder that, while Edinburgh’s historic buildings are precious and vulnerable, the city’s resilience is no less remarkable.