RHSPT, responsible for conserving and protecting the Thomas Hamilton building, was granted planning permission on Tuesday 23 July, to redevelop the iconic Edinburgh landmark into a brand-new cultural destination and create a vital resource for music-making in Scotland.

Once complete, the much-loved Thomas Hamilton Building will include three intimate performance spaces, rehearsal rooms and a recording studio providing a centre for Scotland’s diverse music sector to collaborate and build on the rich Scottish tradition of music and performance.

New gardens and outdoor areas, a café, conference and business facilities and a vaulted bar will open up the place for everyone – not just music lovers to enjoy from the unique vistas and soak up the sense of history and importance of the Thomas Hamilton Building.

Grant MacKenzie, executive director of the Royal High School Preservation Trust, said: “Receiving planning permission to begin making our vision for the building a reality is a milestone moment in our project’s journey. The Royal High School is both architecturally and culturally significant for Edinburgh, and we’re grateful to Edinburgh City Council for allowing us to bring it back into public use as an exciting indoor and outdoor cultural destination.”

Funding for the redevelopment is led by a small consortium of philanthropic contributors.