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The announcement comes today, Friday, October 31, as Angus Robertson, MSP for Edinburgh Central in which the Royal High School sits, visited the building to mark the milestone. Mr Robertson was joined by representatives of the some of the local community groups who will make use of the new National Centre for Music, along with Caroline Clark, director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Scotland. Carol Nimmo, chair of the Royal High School Preservation Trust and Jenny Jamison, chief executive and Creative Director of the National Centre for Music gave Mr Robertson and Ms Clark a tour of the building showcasing how it will be transformed into a cultural hub for music performance, creation and learning. The funding from The National Lottery Heritage Fund follows an initial award of £437,000 in January, which has been used towards the exploration works on the building as well as enabling consultations with local communities. The new £4.5 million investment will contribute to the long-term delivery of the project, with a strong focus on ensuring that Edinburgh’s local communities share fully in its cultural and creative benefits. Caroline Clark, director for Scotland for The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said: “For over 50 years the former Royal High School has faced an uncertain future. “It is a wonderful achievement by the Royal High School Preservation Trust to now have a clear path laid out to conserve the building’s important heritage and to create an exciting future as a new home for musical performance, education and creation. Thanks to National Lottery players we are proud that this project is being made possible with Heritage Fund support. “The restored and redeveloped A-listed building will be an inspiring site for musicians, and particularly young people, to learn and develop in the heart of a historic city famous for its support for the arts. “Opening the site to the community and creating new public gardens will offer opportunities for all to engage in new ways with Edinburgh’s culture and heritage.” Angus Robertson, MSP said: “The Old Royal High School is one of Scotland’s most important architectural landmarks, and I’m immensely impressed by the quality and care of the work carried out so far, this new National Lottery funding reflects that. “Its transformation into the National Centre for Music will not only safeguard a vital part of our heritage but also add to Scotland’s world-leading educational and cultural assets for generations to come.” Joining the group on site were representatives from organisations and communities who had contributed their time and ideas to the project’s local consultations; Trishna Singh OBE, Founder and Director of Sikh Sanjog; Eleanor Ryan-Saha, Lead Family Work and Sophie Jenkins, Partnerships Manager at The Yard; Lamin Bajo, President of the Gambian Community in Edinburgh; Akin Fatunbi, a musician representative from the Senegalese Community; Grace Dempsey, singer and Education Programme Coordinator at Intercultural Youth Scotland; and Heather Rikic from the Abbeyhill Primary School Parent Committee. These groups, who gather people through culture, music and learning, right on the doorstep of the future National Centre for Music, will be some of the key beneficiaries of the project. As well as creating new spaces for people to gather in the city centre, the National Centre for Music will develop a busy programme of events, performances, and learning opportunities with and for local residents, thanks to the support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund. Don’t miss out on the Capital’s biggest stories with our daily newsletter, which highlights the latest news. From breaking news to crime, business, local politics, sport and more. Jenny Jamison, creative director and chief executive of the National Centre for Music said: “We’re extremely grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund for this second round of funding. “It will allow us to move forward with the preservation of this wonderful building as we transform it into the National Centre for Music, creating a nourishing and inspiring environment for music and culture in the city, and a place for people of all musical passions to gather and celebrate.” Construction work on the former Royal High School building is underway with completion of the project scheduled for 2027.
