About Us
The Royal High School Preservation Trust was established in 2015 to conserve and protect the Thomas Hamilton building on Calton Hill; to find an economically sustainable and culturally suitable use for the whole site; and to establish substantial public access and usage.
Royal High School Preservation Trust
“ Let’s allow one of our greatest buildings to be repopulated by the people of Edinburgh, used and enjoyed by both citizens and visitors to the city, and part of a living, vibrant and forward-looking community. ”
By 2016, our proposals to create a National Centre for Music in the Royal High School building received enthusiastic and robust support from significant heritage, city planning and education partners – including Historic Environment Scotland, Edinburgh World Heritage, the Cockburn Association, the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland, the New Town and Broughton Community Council, and the Edinburgh Urban Design Panel, as well as over 3,000 members of the public.
In October 2021, City of Edinburgh Council approved our plans to restore the iconic Thomas Hamilton building. However, the restoration project took a major step forward in March 2023 with the formal commencement of a lease agreement between City of Edinburgh Council and the Royal High School Preservation Trust. The agreement enabled the RHSPT to finally take possession of the site of the former Royal High School and begin the process of creating a sustainable long-term future for the A-listed historic site.
Having planned for so long to conserve and protect the building for the city and the nation, the lease agreement was an exciting milestone for the Trust. Following this, in the summer of 2023 we commenced our enabling works to kickstart the iconic building’s restoration.
A living building
“ The RHSPT scheme ultimately aims to connect the building to the city and its people by creating a place where communities can flourish, where heritage and innovation work side by side, and where enjoyment and education go hand in hand. ”
Between 2016 and 2021, our design proposal evolved, expanding our ambitions for the building into a vision for a major cultural venue, set within generous and accessible gardens and supported by clearly defined spaces for education and community engagement. The vision is backed by the generosity of the Dunard Fund who have gifted £45m to the project and has attracted generous support from a range of philanthropic funders.
Trustees
The Royal High School Preservation Trust trustees are Nicola Gordon, Richard Austin, Carol Colburn Grigor, Amanda Forsyth and Colin Liddell. If you are interested in becoming a trustee please contact Grant MacKenzie at grant@rhspt.org
