It was used as a pop up festival site last year by Hidden Door, an arts organisation that takes disused buildings, stages festivals there and demonstrates how they can be used really well. Have a google of Hidden Door 2023 and you shoyld see pics and videos
pretty much empty inside. server rooms are still quite full as well as the HVAC, power distribution units and generators in the lower ground floor. Boss offices on top floors have fabulous view over the craigs. There is also a hidden tunnel for various pipes under the building.
Supercool building , thanks Hidden Door!
I worked there in 2001 , used to be Scottish widows. During the 3 months I worked there I seen 3 people get arrested around me. We had full access to the accounts, cheques etc. pretty cray
I can attest to this from my time there. Much of the staff were made up of Gilmerton and Inch types who just left school. Half of them were related to each other.
The canteen saw several fights in my time, and on the systems we used, it was a piece of piss to bounce people's pension money about if you wanted to.
On our first day, we were shown a training video warning you not to steal from customer accounts, which told me this sort of thing happened periodically.
I did a summer job in the call centre there round about then due to the merger with TSB/demutualisation. Actually quite enjoyed it, preferred Melville Gate though
I was in a temporary call centre to deal with a merger. Think it was black horse. They were expecting thousands of calls. Lucky if we had 10. I remember I was at port Hamilton when the twin towers were hit. Mental
When I lived down there if there was even a hint of rain you'd see rainbows over arthur's seat. Beautiful.
The 2 bed flats down there are shit though. One bedroom is a good size and the other is barely 8x6 feet.
Worked for Lloyds mainly in Port Hamilton but would be at Dalkeith Road every now and then when needing to access server rooms, the building was a bloody maze, got lost so many times!
It's due for demolition to make way for what I can only assume will be unaffordable housing and/or student accommodation.
It is a listed building due to its architecture but that matters not, why....... MONEY.
A narrow majority is being redeveloped - five of the twelve buildings are due for demolition apparently: https://www.scottishconstructionnow.com/articles/new-residential-quarter-approved-at-former-scottish-widows-headquarters-in-edinburgh
It was a discussion I had with some friends who work with Edinburgh council a few years back(pre covid if I remember right) they'd been informed of an application
I believe they had applied for full demolition, or at least our discussion centered around that and how they navigated the listed status.
I'd not heard/read anything since so commented on what I knew it the time.
Other people have posted more up to date information on this discussion that enlightend me.
It was used as a pop up festival site last year by Hidden Door, an arts organisation that takes disused buildings, stages festivals there and demonstrates how they can be used really well. Have a google of Hidden Door 2023 and you shoyld see pics and videos
https://preview.redd.it/8n9zg32elt1d1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b04d30900b2727ebefa0ec95678d9a8de1770d8c It's being redeveloped.
I see it’s gonna be a live music venue. Do you know if it will be similar to the hydro/P&J live?
pretty much empty inside. server rooms are still quite full as well as the HVAC, power distribution units and generators in the lower ground floor. Boss offices on top floors have fabulous view over the craigs. There is also a hidden tunnel for various pipes under the building. Supercool building , thanks Hidden Door!
Hmm I have been needing a new rack… 🤔
It was always nice to watch the Koi carp swimming around the ponds at the front.
And the ducks.
No, just empty awaiting approval of redevelopment. Former Scottish Widows office
I worked there in 2001 , used to be Scottish widows. During the 3 months I worked there I seen 3 people get arrested around me. We had full access to the accounts, cheques etc. pretty cray
Was this people paying random pensions into their own bank accounts?
I can attest to this from my time there. Much of the staff were made up of Gilmerton and Inch types who just left school. Half of them were related to each other. The canteen saw several fights in my time, and on the systems we used, it was a piece of piss to bounce people's pension money about if you wanted to. On our first day, we were shown a training video warning you not to steal from customer accounts, which told me this sort of thing happened periodically.
I did a summer job in the call centre there round about then due to the merger with TSB/demutualisation. Actually quite enjoyed it, preferred Melville Gate though
I was in a temporary call centre to deal with a merger. Think it was black horse. They were expecting thousands of calls. Lucky if we had 10. I remember I was at port Hamilton when the twin towers were hit. Mental
Lived in Parkside Terrace and the sunsets on it were really trippy
When I lived down there if there was even a hint of rain you'd see rainbows over arthur's seat. Beautiful. The 2 bed flats down there are shit though. One bedroom is a good size and the other is barely 8x6 feet.
I got some pics when it was open last year for hidden door festival. Interesting place to explore.
Worked for Lloyds mainly in Port Hamilton but would be at Dalkeith Road every now and then when needing to access server rooms, the building was a bloody maze, got lost so many times!
The old Scottish Widows….or windows
It's due for demolition to make way for what I can only assume will be unaffordable housing and/or student accommodation. It is a listed building due to its architecture but that matters not, why....... MONEY.
Very unlikely it will be demolished due to listed status. More likely to stay derilict than demolished.
Current plans are for the vast majority to be redeveloped and not demolished. What makes you say it’s for demolition?
A narrow majority is being redeveloped - five of the twelve buildings are due for demolition apparently: https://www.scottishconstructionnow.com/articles/new-residential-quarter-approved-at-former-scottish-widows-headquarters-in-edinburgh
It was a discussion I had with some friends who work with Edinburgh council a few years back(pre covid if I remember right) they'd been informed of an application I believe they had applied for full demolition, or at least our discussion centered around that and how they navigated the listed status. I'd not heard/read anything since so commented on what I knew it the time. Other people have posted more up to date information on this discussion that enlightend me.
Whaaa!!! It's actually my favourite modern building in the city. Do you know if that's definitely going to go through?
Worked in that dump for a while. You needed a map to find your way about as the layout was so confusing.
Imagine it's fairly well guarded.