Tartan Weaving Mill
| The Tartan Weaving Mill | |
|---|---|
The Tartan Weaving Mill viewed from the Royal Mile | |
Location within Edinburgh city centre | |
| General information | |
| Location | 555 Castlehill, Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 2NF, Scotland, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 55°56′56″N 3°11′46″W / 55.9490°N 3.1961°W |
| Opened | 1850 (as reservoir) 1997 (as attraction) |
| Renovated | 1995-97 |
| Owner | GL Attractions |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 5 |
| Design and construction | |
| Known for | Live weaving demonstrations |
| Other information | |
| Public transit access | Edinburgh Waverley |
| Website | |
| www | |
Listed Building – Category B | |
| Official name | 555 Castlehill, Former Reservoir, with Retaining Wall, Steps, Railings and Balustrade to N and Drinking Fountain on W Wall |
| Designated | 13 August 1987 |
| Reference no. | LB27962 |
The Tartan Weaving Mill is a retail store, cafe and visitor attraction on the Royal Mile in the Old Town of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is located on the Castlehill, directly adjacent to the esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. The attraction occupies a former city reservoir, which was drained in 1992 and converted to its current use in 1995.
In addition to its retail use, the attraction contains a display dedicated to tartan and weaving, as well as a heritage loom, on display in the bottom floor of the building. Visitors can see the equipment on show in the workshop, with occasional live demonstrations. The Witches' Well fountain is attached to the exterior of the Tartan Weaving Mill building.
History
The Tartan Weaving Mill occupies the hollow basement of the former Castlehill Reservoir building, built between 1849-50. The site had previously been the site of a smaller reservoir (built circa 1755) and prior to that, a chapel called the Christ Church (which was demolished to provide materials for the construction of the Tron Kirk). The reservoir fed directly to the houses of the Old Town and was capable of distributing 2 million gallons of water at a rate of 5,000 gallons per minute.[1] Human remains were discovered during the reservoir's construction, as well as a number of black coffins made from oak.[2]
The reservoir was drained in 1992, with the intent to seek a new usage for the site.[3] In between the reservoir's draining and redevelopment, the interior of the building was opened to the public as part of the 1993 Doors Open Days festival.[4]
After a public competition for development proposals, during which fifteen applications were received, the building was sold by Lothian Regional Council to G & L Investments for conversion into the current attraction. The company operated an existing craft store on the High Street and an existing weaving operation in Peffermill, Craigmillar. After concerns were raised to the Scotsman that the attraction would be of low quality, the company Director, Geoffrey Nicholsby, told the newspaper "Our intention is to make Castlehill Reservoir into an Edinburgh Landmark, with something for tourists, local people, employment and education alike... the retail shop will sell products of the highest quality."[5]
The new venture was known as the Old Town Weaving Company. After a period of renovation and recruitment, the attraction opened in June 1997. Visitors to the attraction could pick a tartan and watch it being made by the attraction's staff, or experience working the mill and making tartan themselves.[6]
The Singh Gold family took ownership of the building in 2007 after purchasing GL Attractions for £6 million. A two-year court battle ensued over the terms of the lease, which was won by former Director Nicholsby in 2010. The family were found to have retailed inferior-quality imported Highlandwear in the Tartan Weaving Mill, and Malap Singh was separately convicted of assault on Nicholsby.[7] The Singh Gold family subsequently purchased the Old Town Weaving Company, which still operated the lower-floor weaving workshop, in February 2014.[8]
In 2025, an employee of the Tartan Weaving Mill was awarded damages after suing the company for constructive dismissal.[9][10]
Future
In 2024, the operators of the building applied to City of Edinburgh Council for planning permission to redevelop the attraction as a heritage experience. The proposed experience would explore the building's history as a reservoir and the importance of water to Edinburgh's development, as well as housing an exhibition on kilts and creating new spaces for independent traders. The plans also proposed construction of an alternative entrance to the building on Ramsay Lane, to improve flow of visitors through the attraction.[11]
The proposal was approved on 22 October 2024, with the displays on the history of the reservoir drawing from the work of Roland Paxton, Professor of Civil Engineering at Heriot-Watt University.[12]
References
- ^ "Listed Building: 555 CASTLEHILL, FORMER RESERVOIR, WITH RETAINING WALL, STEPS, RAILINGS AND BALUSTRADE TO N AND DRINKING FOUNTAIN ON W WALL". Historic Environment Scotland. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ^ "Castlehill Reservoir - Discovery of Human Remains". Elgin Courant and Morayshire Advertiser. 21 December 1849.
- ^ "Tartan Weaving Mill & Exhibition". Gazetteer For Scotland. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
- ^ "Open Doors For All". Edinburgh Evening News. 8 September 1993. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ^ "Letters to the Editor". The Scotsman. 31 July 1995. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ^ "Making the Dundee Tartan". Dundee Evening Telegraph. 27 March 1988. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ^ "Kiltmaker fends off 'kings of tartan tat'". The Scotsman. 15 January 2010. Archived from the original on 28 December 2025.
- ^ Allan, Vicky (9 March 2014). "Gold Brothers hope to shine with Made in Scotland ethos". The Herald. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ^ Rose, Hannah (2 July 2025). "Former shop worker wins £5k after being accused of sexism". HR Magazine. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ^ "Tartan shop embroiled in swords and sexism row". The Telegraph. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2026.
- ^ Swanson, Ian (17 July 2024). "Edinburgh Royal Mile: Plans to maximise potential of weaving mill and former reservoir as visitor attraction". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 4 January 2026.
- ^ Quinn, Kevin (30 October 2024). "Edinburgh's Tartan Weaving Mill retail unit on the Royal Mile to be transformed into heritage attraction". Edinburgh Evening News. Retrieved 5 January 2026.