January 27 2010

Edinburgh World Heritage and the City of Edinburgh Council are teaming up to develop a lighting strategy for Edinburgh’s New Town.

Measures being investigated include the replacement of modern concrete lamps with historical lighting, modelled after surviving originals, as they deteriorate.

Subtle design variations between streets added diversity to the architecture, something a rolling programme of replacement will aim to replicate with scope for contemporary design “where appropriate”.

Historic lamps in the city are sparse today but evidence for them remains in the form of square indents at the base of iron rail fencing.

Privately constructed wrought iron oil lamps can still be found on Charlotte Square and were in use till the early 19th century. Only used in winter the city was plunged into darkness over the summer an even when lit the quality of light was poor. Often the oil within was stolen for use in cooking, compounding the problem.

Public funding saw these replaced in the 1820’s with gas lights, capable of producing a far superior luminosity.

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