The Ross Development Trust (RDT) is a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation (SCIO) established to refurbish West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh. Their declared mission is "to create a unique, internationally recognisable venue for all to enjoy, in an attractive and reanimated West Princes Street Gardens, as a year round, socially inclusive centre promoting a diversity of cultural activities."
The Ross Development Trust SC046873 were registered in September 2016, after making a development agreement with the City of Edinburgh in June of that year. They organized the restoration of the Ross Fountain in 2018, and were also responsible for the upgrading of the West Princes Gardens Gardener's Cottage. [1] [2]
Following an international design competition, launched in February 2017, they are now involved in plans for the redevelopment of the Ross Bandstand and a completely new Visitor Centre, subject to a public consultation by the City of Edinburgh, closing on 14 September 2018, and amendment of the 1991 City of Edinburgh District Council Order Confirmation Act which imposes limits on buildings in public parks. [3]
The Chairman of the RDT is Norman Springford of Apex Hotels and the Managing Director is David Ellis.
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. The city is located in south-east Scotland, and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth estuary and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh had a population of 506,520 in mid-2020, making it the second-most populous city in Scotland and the seventh-most populous in the United Kingdom. The wider metropolitan area has a population of 912,490.
Princes Street is one of the major thoroughfares in central Edinburgh, Scotland and the main shopping street in the capital. It is the southernmost street of Edinburgh's New Town, stretching around 1.2 km from Lothian Road in the west, to Leith Street in the east. The street has few buildings on the south side and looks over Princes Street Gardens allowing panoramic views of the Old Town, Edinburgh Castle, as well as the valley between. Most of the street is limited to trams, buses and taxis with only the east end open to all traffic.
Edinburgh Trams is a tramway in Edinburgh, Scotland, operated by Edinburgh Trams Ltd. It is an 18.5-kilometre (11.5 mi) line between Newhaven and Edinburgh Airport, with 23 stops.
Edinburgh Waverley railway station is the principal railway station serving Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the second busiest station in Scotland, after Glasgow Central. The station serves as the northern terminus of the East Coast Main Line, 393 miles 13 chains from London King's Cross, although some trains operated by London North Eastern Railway continue to other Scottish destinations beyond Edinburgh.
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo is an annual series of military tattoos performed by British Armed Forces, Commonwealth and international military bands, and artistic performance teams on the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle in the capital of Scotland. The event is held each August as one of the Edinburgh Festivals.
Portobello is a coastal suburb of Edinburgh in eastern central Scotland. It lies 3 miles (5 km) east of the city centre, facing the Firth of Forth, between the suburbs of Joppa and Craigentinny. Although historically it was a town in its own right, it is officially a residential suburb of Edinburgh. The promenade fronts onto a wide sandy beach.
Union Terrace Gardens is a public park and gardens situated on Union Terrace in Aberdeen, Scotland.
Princes Street Gardens are two adjacent public parks in the centre of Edinburgh, Scotland, lying in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. The Gardens were created in the 1820s following the long draining of the Nor Loch and building of the New Town, beginning in the 1760s.
The New Town is a central area of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It was built in stages between 1767 and around 1850, and retains much of its original neo-classical and Georgian period architecture. Its best known street is Princes Street, facing Edinburgh Castle and the Old Town across the geological depression of the former Nor Loch. Together with the West End, the New Town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside the Old Town in 1995. The area is also famed for the New Town Gardens, a heritage designation since March 2001.
Charlotte Square is a garden square in Edinburgh, Scotland, part of the New Town, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The square is located at the west end of George Street and was intended to mirror St. Andrew Square in the east. The gardens, one of the collection of New Town Gardens, are private and not publicly accessible.
Edinburgh is a major transport hub in east central Scotland and is at the centre of a multi-modal transport network with road, rail and air communications connecting the city with the rest of Scotland and internationally.
Meadowbank Stadium is a multi-purpose sports facility located in the Meadowbank area of Edinburgh, Scotland. Built on the site of the earlier New Meadowbank and Old Meadowbank sports venues, it was originally built to host the 1970 Commonwealth Games. It also hosted the Games in 1986, becoming the first venue to host the Games twice. It is the current home of Scottish League Two side Edinburgh City.
Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, is a powerhouse of the Scottish economy, as well as the wider UK economy. Edinburgh has been consistently one of the most prosperous parts of the country and has the strongest economy of any city in the UK outside London. Financial Times FDi Magazine has named Edinburgh as the "Best Large European City of the Future" and "Best Foreign Direct Investment Strategy " for 2012/13.
Linlithgow is a town in West Lothian, Scotland. It was historically West Lothian's county town, reflected in the county's historical name of Linlithgowshire. An ancient town, it lies in the Central Belt on a historic route between Edinburgh and Falkirk beside Linlithgow Loch. The town is situated approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of Edinburgh.
Portobello High School is a large secondary school in Portobello in the east of Edinburgh. With over 1400 pupils it is one of the largest state schools in Edinburgh and Scotland. The headteacher is Ruth McKay. There are two other high schools near it Castlebrae Community High School and Holy Rood High School, Edinburgh
The West End is an affluent district of Edinburgh, Scotland, which along with the rest of the New Town and Old Town forms central Edinburgh, and Edinburgh's UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area boasts several of the city's hotels, restaurants, independent shops, offices and arts venues, including the Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh International Conference Centre and the Caledonian Hotel. The area also hosts art festivals and crafts fairs.
The Roseate Edinburgh is a boutique hotel located in the west of Edinburgh on West Coates. The hotel, earlier known as the Dunstane Houses.
Ross Fountain is a cast-iron structure located in West Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh. It was installed in 1872 and restored in 2018.
The Dunard Centre is a planned concert hall to be located in the city centre of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. The proposed venue is currently being designed by David Chipperfield Architects, with a variation to the existing planning application scheduled for 2021. The Dunard Centre is being designed to be a world-class venue with the very best in modern acoustics and will be a venue for all kinds of music and performance: from orchestral to jazz and from pop to folk, welcoming chamber groups, soloists, bands, choirs, comedians and dance ensembles. It will be an informal cultural hub with education and community outreach central to its vision.
Saughton Park is a public park in Edinburgh, Scotland. It includes formal gardens, specimen trees, exotic plant greenhouses, a cafe, a bandstand, playing fields, an athletics track, a skateboard park and a creative play area. The skatepark was constructed in 2010 and is the largest in Scotland.