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General Post Office, Edinburgh

1865 establishments in ScotlandBuildings and structures completed in 1865Buildings and structures in EdinburghFormer post office buildingsGeneral Post Office
Waverley Gate
Waverley Gate

The General Post Office (GPO) is a former post office building in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was built 1861–65 on the site of the Old Theatre Royal, between Waterloo Place and North Bridge, Edinburgh, to the design of architect and Clerk of Works for Scotland, Robert Matheson. In 1861, Albert, Prince Consort laid the foundation stone. The ceremony took place on the same day as the first stone was laid for the new Royal Museum of Scotland (now the National Museum). The GPO adjoined the offices of the Inland Revenue on Waterloo Place and housed offices for other public bodies, including the Commissioners in Lunacy for Scotland and the Scottish Meteorological Society. The new building replaced the post office built 1815–19 on Waterloo Place beside Regent Bridge, and it was twice extended to meet increasing volumes of demand, first from 1890 by Walter W. Robertson and then 1908–09 by William Thomas Oldrieve. In 2000 the interior was removed, to be replaced by commercial office space, leaving only the High Renaissance-style facade.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article General Post Office, Edinburgh (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

General Post Office, Edinburgh
Leith Street, City of Edinburgh New Town/Broughton

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Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 55.953 ° E -3.1884 °
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Address

Waverley Gate

Leith Street
EH1 3YY City of Edinburgh, New Town/Broughton
Scotland, United Kingdom
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Waverley Gate
Waverley Gate
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Edinburgh
Edinburgh

Edinburgh ( (listen); Scots: Edinburgh [ˈɛdɪnbʌrə]; Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Èideann [ˌt̪un ˈeːtʲən̪ˠ]) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of the Firth of Forth. Edinburgh is Scotland's second-most populous city, behind Glasgow, and the seventh-most populous city in the United Kingdom. Recognised as the capital of Scotland since at least the 15th century, Edinburgh is the seat of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Parliament and the highest courts in Scotland. The city's Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official residence of the British monarchy in Scotland. The city has long been a centre of education, particularly in the fields of medicine, Scottish law, literature, philosophy, the sciences, and engineering. It is the second-largest financial centre in the United Kingdom, and the city's historical and cultural attractions have made it the UK's second-most visited tourist destination attracting 4.9 million visits, including 2.4 million from overseas in 2018.Edinburgh's official population estimates are 506,520 (mid-2016) for the Edinburgh locality, 518,500 (mid-2019) for the City of Edinburgh council area, and 1,339,380 (2014) for the wider city region. Edinburgh lies at the heart of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland city region comprising East Lothian, Edinburgh, Fife, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian.The city is the annual venue of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. It is home to national cultural institutions such as the National Museum of Scotland, the National Library of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery. The University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582 and now one of three in the city, is placed 16th in the QS World University Rankings for 2022. The city is also known for the Edinburgh International Festival and the Fringe, the latter being the world's largest annual international arts festival. Historic sites in Edinburgh include Edinburgh Castle, the Palace of Holyroodhouse, the churches of St. Giles, Greyfriars and the Canongate, and the extensive Georgian New Town built in the 18th/19th centuries. Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town together are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which has been managed by Edinburgh World Heritage since 1999.

National Archives of Scotland

The National Archives of Scotland (NAS) is the previous name of the National Records of Scotland (NRS), and are the national archives of Scotland, based in Edinburgh. The NAS claims to have one of the most varied collection of archives in Europe. It is the main archive for sources of the history of Scotland as an independent state (see Kingdom of Scotland), her role in the British Isles and the links between Scotland and many other countries over the centuries. The NAS changed its name from the Scottish Record Office on 7 January 1999 and is both an associated department and Executive Agency of the Scottish Government, headed by the Keeper of the Records of Scotland. The agency is responsible to the Scottish Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture. Its antecedents date back to the 13th century. It is responsible for selecting, preserving, and promoting and making available the national archives of Scotland. It also has a role in records management more generally. The National Archives of Scotland is based at three locations in Edinburgh: HM General Register House with New Register House (open to the public) and West Register House in the city centre, and Thomas Thomson House in the Sighthill area of the city which is the main repository and also houses a conservation department and other offices. Access to the archives is open to members of the public. On 1 April 2011, NAS, as a governmental body, was merged with the General Register Office for Scotland to form National Records of Scotland. The term National Archives of Scotland is still sometimes employed to refer to the archives (the records collections) themselves.