Courtyard Marriott has just opened its doors in Baxter’s Place and in tribute to its former resident Robert Stevenson they have unveiled a bust of the engineer.
Robert Stevenson was a lighthouse engineer and James Will who is his great-great-great-grandson unveiled the likeness of his ancestor created by Clare Flatley of Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop.
Douglas Winfield, the General Manager of Courtyard Edinburgh, said: “The redevelopment of the three Georgian townhouses that form the front of the hotel has been enormously respectful of the building’s past and we’ve worked very closely with the Northern Lighthouse Board and local historians to ensure we capture the pioneering spirit that Robert Stevenson represents.
“The centrepiece is the new bust of Robert Stevenson and we were delighted that his direct descendants were here as it went on show for the first time. It has been made locally by sculptor Clare Flatley and is a copy of one that belongs to the family today, so a real talking point for guests as they arrive at the hotel.”
The Stevenson family designed most of Scotland’s lighthouses over one hundred and fifty years, and number Robert Louis Stevenson among their dynasty.
The most famous of Stevenson’s designs is the Bell Rock Lighthouse which sits just over 10 miles off the coast of Angus. 110 men toiled on its construction with took four years.
Robert Stevenson also designed London Road and Regent Road in the capital.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
