Origins of historic Scottish school examined

LISTED by Historic Scotland since 1987, the distinctive red sandstone building near the top of New Street started life as the North Canongate Infant School in 1901.

It was designed by Robert Wilson, the official architect to the Edinburgh School Board, who drew up plans for a host of other schools built in that era.

The son of Edinburgh architect Patrick Wilson, he took over his father's practice after his death in 1871 and won the position with the school board several years later, imposing his London Gothic style on many of his buildings.

The board had been created in 1872 to initiate a city-wide school building programme.

Wilson was a prominent baptist and was for a time vice-president of the Baptist Union of Scotland. He was interested in philanthropic movements and was the director of the Free Breakfast Mission in Edinburgh.

His New Street building was used as a school until 1968 when it was converted for use as office space.