The Caledonian Hotel

Category

Library Item

Item no

51847

Title

The Caledonian Hotel

Artist / maker

Magee, Gregg

Date

2021

Type

Digital image

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

The Caledonian Hotel, constructed from 1899 to 1903, was part of the Caledonian Railway's Edinburgh Princes Street railway station. It was a rival to the North British Railway's North British Hotel, which opened at the other end of Princes Street in 1903. The hotel was built on top of the stone, V-shaped station building that had been recently built as a replacement for the previous wooden station, which was damaged in a fire in June 1890.The architects of the hotel were John More Dick Peddie and George Washington Browne. Peddie's assistant and job architect was John Wilson.

When first built, the hotel had 205 rooms, with décor in the style of Louis XV. The arches at the front of the hotel also provided access to the railway station below. The red sandstone façade has been a city landmark throughout the hotel's history.

In 1965, Princes Street Station was closed, and it was demolished by 1970. This provided room for expansion of the hotel, and the cast iron gates at the entrance to a car park in Rutland Street are the only remainder of the station outwith the hotel. The original station clock, pre-dating the fire of 1890, has been preserved in the hotel.

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Architecture > Architectural features > Pillars

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Places > Scotland > Edinburgh

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