Crime writer Ian Rankin has agreed to help raise funds for a £25million revamp of one of Edinburgh’s most iconic gardens.
Rankin, who set most of his Inspector Rebus novels in the Capital, hopes the overhaul will make West Princes Street Gardens "more accessible and more beautiful".
It is being spearheaded by the Quaich Project, which has sparked criticism of ‘privatisation of public space’.
READ MORE: Princes Street Gardens development boss stands down over controversial revamp
Rankin was named as a ‘Quaich Bearer’, who will help with fundraising efforts.
If the funding for the project can be raised and planning permission is secured, it would see the existing Ross Bandstand in the gardens.
A concrete bowl overlooking Edinburgh Castle would be replaced with a 5000-capacity amphitheatre and a two-storey complex with catering and hospitality facilities.
Rankin said the existing bandstand, which dates back to 1935, was "not used nearly enough" because it had been allowed to fall "disrepair" over the years.
He said the proposed overhaul of the park would ensure it would be "more accessible and more beautiful" for future generations.
Speaking in a video, the author said: "Like everything in Edinburgh it’s got to be a balancing act.
"You’ve got that balance between the Old Town and the New Town and we’re right at the halfway point here at the gardens.
"But there has to be something for the visitor to do.
"You want to show them the city behind the city, not just the things they usually see; there is more to the city than that.
"And we’ve always got that balancing act between wanting to be modern but also wanting to be traditional.
READ MORE: Edinburgh Princes Street Gardens revamp bosses deny move to 'privatise public space'
"Making sure you respect tradition while being modern and I don’t think anybody is talking about huge radical changes to the structure of the gardens and I’m not talking about shutting the gardens off to the general public.
"But what they’re talking about is making what’s here more accessible and more beautiful.
"Also, my son is in a wheelchair - my youngest son is in a wheelchair – and to make it more accessible some of the viewing areas which are being proposed up at actual Princes Street itself, ways of getting into the park, ways of getting into the grounds, or just getting a viewing spot would be great."
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