Atlast - it's time for the Time Ball

The Big Lottery and Edinburgh's World Heritage Trust are to repair the time ball on top of the monument on Calton Hill - it's not gone up and down down at 1 O Clock for nearly two years. Read more here

See the ball here

What is the time ball - find out more here

The Independent Republic hopes this has been an interesting and informative experience for you and we look forward to once again looking out of our windows at 1 O Clock and to see the time ball fall like a stone.

Keeping the Faith in World Heritage

Above the Osbert Lancaster cartoon was signed off 29 years ago tomorrow, could have been today somewhere in an office in Edinburgh ...

Professor Stovel is one of the world's leading experts on conservation matters and assessed the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh for UNESCO World Heritage site status in 1995.

Tonight he is giving the The Cockburn Annual Lecture Keeping the Faith in World Heritage: Issues and Challenges
at the Edinburgh College of Art, Main Lecture Theatre 18:30 - 20:30
Cockburn Association

Listen to the Professor , one of the world’s leading authorities on conservation matters, in discussion with the EWH Chairman Professor Charles McKean last year on …What makes Edinburgh distinctive and how does it compare with other World Heritage cities?
Hear Listen to the Podcast

All cartoons are by Osbert Lancaster who is being currently celebrated in an exhibition in London see More here

What are Edinburgh Council up to?

Want to know who your council is awarding contracts to?

How much is spent on advertising by the Police?

What plans are in place for motorway upgrades near your house?

A definitive Freedom of Information site will help you make Freedom of Information requests FOIs and read all about what other people have been asking, and what replies they've been getting.

You can even subscribe to email alerts when other people ask about things you're interested in. What do they know - Edinburgh Council

More useful sites here

Temper, temper!

It has been reported to the Independent Republic that a certain spin doctor was like Rumpelstiltskin the other day because of what was said on this blog - very grumpy and very cross - about a source stating that Mountgrange were pulling out. The Independent Republic were only reporting what we were told!

Now please remember what happened to Mr R when he didn't get his own way - he stamped his foot so hard he fell into a chasm - perhaps it would be the big hole left when Caltongate have to walk away from the Caltongate site!

Recession Proof Caltongate

Caltongate is recession proof, so much so it is going to be "Depression" themed. Most of the building`s facades to be retained are from the 1930`s.

The Old Sailor's Ark, funded by a benefactor to house sailors in need built 1936 by architects Tarbolton & Ochterlony.

This will be home to "Let Them Eat Cake" a soup kitchen themed restaurant in the French Hotel Group Accor`s Five Star Caltongate hotel. The hotel is rumoured to be having an overall French nautical and "1930`s styling throughout.

The Macrae Tenements part of the hotel were built during the 1930`s to house the ordinary working person. Rooms will pay homage to the previous council tenants, aptly named and with a small plaque telling guests about who slept there in the past.

The Victorian school building known as The Canongate Venture is to be completely demolished for the hotel`s conference centre.

A source close to the project said - it is only right that we pay our respects to the poor and needy children who must have benefited from this sandstone school board building by (Robert Wilson 1901)

Neither are we forgetting the many businesses that have been tenants in its final use as a small business start up venture, provided by the council.

Perhaps Canongate Books and Birlinn press can help with ideas, but one so far is having quirky Girls and Boys entrance doors to the building.

The source added that lip service will be paid to the Patrick Geddes guy, perhaps the roof terraces on the conference centre, will be named after him, as after all he encouraged the poor folk of the Old Town to garden, didn`t he?

Council Denies Credit Crunch Happening

"Latest Council Meeting"

With TV programmes showing such as "Repossession, Repossession, Repossession", "Property Snake", and " How little is your house worth now?" the City of Edinburgh Council are clearly not living on the same planet as the rest of us, but neither are their pals in the property business.....Edinburgh Revamp Still On

Most disturbing is that they are not content with cloning the city, they have started cloning themselves.

"City leaders say the projects will create a "modern 21st century capital city in which to live, work, invest and visit".

Now what is wrong with " Edinburgh is a beautiful historical city, a vibrant 21st century capital which people can live and work in , and people enjoy visiting and doing business in"

"Well he would say that, wouldn't he"

Mandy Rice Davies as she leaves the court, famously saying "well he would say that wouldn't he" in retort that Lord Astor denies what she is saying!


There are rumours going about that Mountgrange are to pull out of the Canongate which they refer to as Caltongate - a little birdie told us that they don't have the money or investment.

However, at the Republic we have concerns that in this economic environment that Mountgrange will demolish further parts of East Market Street and New Street, to land bank it and hoping for the economy to get on its feet. A bigger and wider empty brown site really is not needed or wanted particularly in the World Heritage Site - it would be a disaster and cannot be allowed.

Have Mountgrange got the finance for their project? Further demolitions should not be carried out without knowing if the finances are secure? Sofitel may have a written agreement with the council and Mountgrange however they will not want to be surrounded by empty new builds that cannot be used. Sofitel is the hotel and conference centre however they are not funding or part of the "luxury apartments" or "luxury retail and offices".

The finance world is in free fall just now. Bradford & Bingley looks like it will have to be nationalised, HBOS has been bought out, finance companies and banks throughout the world are collapsing. I don't want to point out the obvious but who is going to finance Caltongate?

Mountgrange have told us it is a £330 million project. Where is the £330 million coming from? Developers borrow money to build buildings then sell them on. Where will they get £330 million from? And who are they planning (apart from Sofitel) to sell the rest of the development on to?

The council has sold the land off market for a cool £5 million however they do not get any profit share until the whole thing is sold. Some economists are saying that property is over valued by 40% - the council may see very little return for its investment - if indeed it goes ahead. The council is predicting brutal times ahead and it looks like Caltongate is their great hope to indicate that the capital city hasn't come to a halt - see here

However Mark Cummings Invictor PR spokesperson has vigourously denied rumours that Caltongate are pulling out, see here . However we have heard such denials before and in the immortal words of Mandy Rice Davies in th Profumo affair in the 1960s see here "well he would say that, wouldn't he?"