Crowdfunder launched to buy iconic Edinburgh Rose Street mosaic

The rose currently for sale. PIC: www.brickandstonescotland.com

A Crowdfunding campaign has been launched by Edinburgh Spotlight, who hope to buy back the artwork.

It is currently up for sale on brickandstonescotland.com - a reclamation website - who say that the mosaic was lifted from Rose Street due to damage.

However, the Edinburgh Evening News understands that the one for sale is a surplus one bought when the designs were initially produced.

It is listed at a price of £1,800.

You can donate to the crowdfunding efforts to buy back the Maggie Howarth artwork here.Any money raised over the total amount will be donated to the charity Social Bite.

Eight intricate mosaic roses were installed along Rose Street in the 1980s creating a unique heritage to Edinburgh’s New Town.

Last year, residents were in uproar after the mosaics were temporarily covered with tarmacThe council recently announced an£1 million road resurfacing scheme for the section of Rose Street in which the mosaics currently lay, with works starting tomorrow.

The temporary tarmac over where a mosaic used to lay. PIC: Edinburgh Spotlight

Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Macinnes, said: “The section of Rose Street pictured is the subject of a major, £1m renewal project beginning this week, which will see new setts laid to create an attractive pattern and the installation of planters along the route.

“Separate to this, the rose being sold was one of a number of mosaics created in the 1980s, which had been in storage for many years. As there were no plans to reuse them, this was sold in 2017. It was agreed at the time, along with partners including Edinburgh World Heritage and the artist, that the spare roses should not be reinstated in the street, as they are no longer fit to withstand current use.

“The Rose Street site pictured required necessary repairs to be made safe.”