The Tartan Weaving Mill at the top of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile is set to become the city’s next big tourist attraction. Right now, it sells a huge array of Scottish tweed, cashmere and lambswool alongside Harry Potter merchandise and souvenirs, all of which are sure to attract plenty of tourists. But, it has ambitions to bring in even more.
Plans to transform the huge five floor building have just been given the green light by Edinburgh Council. It was built way back in 1849 and converted into the Old Town Weaving Company in 1995.
The approved proposals include a museum/ educational facility illustrating the building’s importance as the first running water supply serving the city and the last weaving mill on the Royal Mile.
It’s set to get a new pedestrian entrance with bespoke iron gates and a Scottish café and Scottish foods supermarket on level three. There will also be eight small rented retail units for independent arts and crafts traders from around Scotland.
The new and upgraded level two of the mill will include an exhibition of ‘The Kilt Through the Ages’ and an expansion to the Scottish Photo Experience, which invites visitors to don period Scottish costumes and take pictures in front of hand painted backdrops.
The Tartan Weaving Mill said of the plans: ‘Our focus for the next decade is to enhance the visitor offer in the building, provide a sustainable, heritage-focused vision for the building which will conserve the heritage asset and secure it not only as a successful retail space but also as an important tourist destination/ experience/ museum.
‘This will be achieved by re-imagining the tartan weaving mill and museum, bringing the building to life in terms of its water history and improving the flow through the building for visitors to enjoy a pleasant, easy, accessible experience.
‘At no point has the story of the building been told to those who visit it or its importance to the city’s public health and development through providing a reservoir with a clean water supply. The alterations and interventions proposed as part of this application will enable all of this to be achieved with minimal alteration to the historic fabric.’
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