Edinburgh community's plans to convert toilets into cafe about to get under way

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Work is about to get under way in a city park on the transformation of a disused toilet block into a community cafe.

Let us know what you think and join the conversation at the bottom of this article.

Volunteers have spent the past 10 years putting together the plans to bring the derelict building in Roseburn Park, next to Murrayfield stadium, back into use.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The conversion work is due to start in May and the cafe is expected to be ready by late summer.

Jim McDonaugh, chair of the Friends of Roseburn Park (FoRP), which is behind the project, said: ”At last! This is exactly what our community and park visitors have been waiting for.

"The refurbished building will be so much better than the present eyesore. We are returning the exterior to the way it would have looked when it was first built, 116 years ago – and the interior into a warm and inviting cafe.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Visitors will have somewhere to go for a hot drink and a snack, maybe even a light meal, when the work is complete.”

Volunteers have spent the past 10 years putting together the plans to bring the derelict building in Roseburn Park, next to Murrayfield stadium, back into use.Volunteers have spent the past 10 years putting together the plans to bring the derelict building in Roseburn Park, next to Murrayfield stadium, back into use.
Volunteers have spent the past 10 years putting together the plans to bring the derelict building in Roseburn Park, next to Murrayfield stadium, back into use.

The building dates back to 1903 and was designed by the office of the City Architect at the time, Robert Morham, as the park’s pavilion. Later used as a bothy for the park keepers, it was converted for additional use as public toilets in 1936.

The loos were closed in 1982 and the building gradually fell into disrepair. There were calls to demolish it, but that would have cost £12,000 with nothing to show for it.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The FoRP trsutees’s first idea was to turn it into a community meeting place, but they then came up with the cafe plan, which won 89 per cent support in a survey.

Crowd-funding appeals by FoRP and some small grants raised more than £13,000 and last year they secured £66,000 from the council to take the scheme forward.

The conversion has been designed by architect Craig Proudfoot of One Foot Square and All Aspects Building & Construction Scotland Ltd were appointed last month for the building work.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The cafe will be run by Murrayfield Wanderers Rugby Football Club, serving hot drinks, snacks and ice cream and hoping to keep it open as much as possible throughout the year.

FoRP says 1,800 pedestrians and 450 cyclists use the park every day and they believe the cafe will draw even more users to enjoy the park.

Mr McDonaugh said: “It has not been a straightforward project, but working with experienced cafe managers FoRP have come up with a design that gives 30 sq m of floor space as well as a spacious public toilet, kitchen and storage.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Former chair Pete Gregson said it had been a rollercoaster. “On so many occasions I thought we had taken on the impossible. I can’t believe there will still be something to show to my kids in the park that will be there long after I am gone.”

And Lord Provost Frank Ross, councillor for the area, said: “Converting the old toilet block into a cafe for the whole community to enjoy is a great idea. It will help to support local jobs and volunteering opportunities, while providing a warm and accessible space for local people to meet up.”

Read More
Historic Edinburgh gasholder to be turned into tree-lined waterfront amphitheatr...

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1873
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice