Old Town signs leave public seeing double

IT'S the street that's so good they named it twice.

Lost tourists brandishing maps might be a familiar sight in the Old Town, but no-one will be in any doubt where they are in King's Stables Lane, which has been graced with two near-identical signs, one on top of the other. The city council says it is not responsible for the double-up, and has no idea where the bottom, newer sign has come from.

Nearby Edinburgh College of Art, where students sometimes carry out quirky public art projects, says it is not behind the sign, and local businesses also say they are baffled by the addition.

Bill Cowan, of the Old Town Association and Old Town Community Council, said the authority was the most likely culprit for the mystery sign. "A few years ago, when they were doing up the St Mary's Street and High Street junction, there was a sign covered in black plastic and someone had a look to see what was underneath. It was something like 'No Left Turn', and no-one would take responsibility for it at all, for having had it made or put there.

"When it comes to signage it's a thing that the Community Council and the Old Town Association have raised from time to time. It's the sort of thing that happens. Years ago there used to be a huge sign in the Grassmarket pointing to Jedburgh, so we would say 'Well, why isn't there a sign in the High Street that points to Grassmarket?' but they did make an effort and clear up a lot of extraneous signs, especially the trunk road ones. But there are a lot of anomalies in the way streets are signposted."

A council spokesman said: "The cast aluminium plates with the chamfered edges are the correct street name plates (the top sign] and are property of the council. The bottom sign is not ours. We do not know who has put it up and we shall have it taken down as soon as we can."

SPELLING OUT SOME OTHER BLUNDERS

Other strange signs to appear in the city in recent years:

• NHS Lothian had to replace a sign at Corstorphine Hospital in April last year which announced that visitors were arriving at "Cosrstorphine" Hospital.

• In August 2008, workmen had to re-do a 20mph sign on Coates Gardens, after it was painted on the Tarmac facing the wrong way.

• In October 2008, a sign appeared on Princes Street pointing the way to Waverly station – also part of tram work diversions.

• Just a few days before the Waverly sign appeared, several large metal signs were put up in the city centre advising drivers there was "no access via Hannover Street".

• In March 2007, a bus stop on The Mound informed visitors they were arriving at Princess Street.

• Speeding tickets had to be cancelled in June 2006 after a 40mph speed limit sign was put up in a 30mph zone on Newington Road.