The Scotsman Hotel
The Scotsman Hotel is a boutique hotel in Edinburgh housed in the former offices and printing works of The Scotsman newspaper.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
The Scotsman Hotel is a boutique hotel on North Bridge in central Edinburgh, Scotland. It occupies a substantial Edwardian building that was constructed in the early twentieth century for The Scotsman newspaper. The property opened as a hotel in 2001, after the newspaper moved from the building to purpose-built offices in Holyrood. Its identity is closely tied to the architecture and working history of the site: the building once contained editorial offices, advertising and trading rooms, a large basement printing operation, and direct access toward Edinburgh Waverley station for distributing newspapers. The conversion retained the building's prominent position between Edinburgh's New Town and Old Town and turned a former newspaper headquarters into a hospitality property with a strong historic and architectural character. The building was developed during the widening of North Bridge in the early 1900s. Designed by Dunn & Findlay, its tower rose approximately 190 feet and helped create an imposing approach to Edinburgh's Old Town alongside the Carlton building opposite. Construction reportedly cost about £500,000. The original arrangement reflected the practical needs of a major newspaper: the basement housed printing facilities, the central floors accommodated editorial work, and the connection to Market Street supported the movement of printed papers toward the railway. Areas now used for guest and public facilities had earlier functions connected with newspaper production and administration. The penthouse was formerly associated with pigeon lofts, while the area now occupied by the North Bridge Brasserie was once used for reception and advertising-related business. As a hotel, The Scotsman has been positioned around heritage, distinctive interiors, and a central Edinburgh location rather than as a standardized international chain property. Its offer combines accommodation in a landmark building with food, drink, and event-oriented hospitality. The building's former newspaper use also supports a narrative of place and historical continuity. Local folklore adds reports of ghosts associated with the site's earlier newspaper life, including a phantom printer and a phantom forger, although these accounts are part of the property's atmosphere rather than independently established historical facts. The property has experienced several changes in ownership. It was previously associated with JJW Hotels & Resorts and was purchased by Sheikh Mohamed bin Issa Al Jaber for £63 million in 2006. The hotel entered liquidation in June 2016. In February 2017, it was sold to the G1 Group for an undisclosed amount. The ownership transition distinguishes the hotel from a conventional publicly listed hotel chain: no public ticker or listed status is established in the supplied material. The property has nevertheless continued to be presented as an operating Edinburgh hotel. Recognition has included inclusion in international and United Kingdom hotel selections, including Condé Nast Traveler and Tatler references, as well as a 2020 Scottish Hotel Awards Boutique Hotel of the Year award and a 2020 Scottish Hotel Awards Hotel Design Gold Laurel. The hotel has also been associated with The Preferred Hotel Group. Its overall proposition is therefore a heritage-led independent or group-operated urban hotel, using a landmark building, central location, and historic newspaper associations as principal points of differentiation.
History
The Scotsman Hotel occupies a prominent building on North Bridge in Edinburgh, a route connecting the city's Old Town and New Town. The building emerged from the early twentieth-century widening of North Bridge. Designed by Dunn & Findlay, it included a tower approximately 190 feet high and formed part of an imposing architectural entrance to the Old Town, together with the Carlton building opposite. Construction reportedly cost approximately £500,000. The building was designed for The Scotsman newspaper and served a range of functions associated with newspaper publishing. A printing operation occupied the basement, while editorial offices were located on the middle floors. The building's direct relationship with Market Street and nearby Edinburgh Waverley station was particularly useful for distributing newspapers: printed copies could be packed and moved toward the trains from the publishing premises. Other parts of the building accommodated reception, trading, and advertising activities. The uppermost areas included pigeon lofts, which later became associated with the penthouse level. The newspaper remained in the building for much of the twentieth century. In 2001, it moved to purpose-built offices in Holyrood. The former newspaper premises were subsequently renovated and opened as The Scotsman Hotel in the same year. The conversion created a hospitality property whose identity depended heavily on the building's retained architectural character and its relationship with Edinburgh's historic center. Former newspaper spaces were adapted for guest accommodation and public hospitality uses, including the area now identified with the North Bridge Brasserie. The hotel's history has also been shaped by changes in ownership. It was previously part of JJW Hotels & Resorts. In 2006, Sheikh Mohamed bin Issa Al Jaber purchased the hotel for £63 million. The supplied reference material also records that JJW acquired The Eton Collection in August 2007, although the relationship between that wider transaction and the hotel's subsequent ownership is not elaborated there. The Scotsman Hotel entered liquidation in June 2016. In February 2017, the property was sold to the G1 Group for an undisclosed amount. The hotel has cultivated a narrative centered on the former newspaper building. Stories about alleged ghosts, including a phantom printer and phantom forger, connect the property's visitor experience to its publishing past. These reports are part of the site's folklore and should not be treated as verified events. The property has also received industry and travel recognition. It was associated with selections by Condé Nast Traveler, Departures, and Tatler, was nominated for Hotel of the Year by the AA in 2002, and was described by Condé Nast Traveler as one of the UK's leading business hotels in 2007. In 2020, it received Boutique Hotel of the Year and a Hotel Design Gold Laurel at the Scottish Hotel Awards. The hotel is also identified as a member of The Preferred Hotel Group. Taken together, the available history presents The Scotsman Hotel as a single-site, heritage-focused Edinburgh hotel rather than a broadly distributed international chain. Its principal assets are the landmark North Bridge location, the preserved former newspaper-office setting, the connection to The Scotsman brand's publishing history, and the ability to combine accommodation with dining and other hospitality services.
- 2020
Scottish Hotel Awards recognition
[1]The Scotsman receives Boutique Hotel of the Year and a Hotel Design Gold Laurel at the Scottish Hotel Awards.
- 2017
G1 Group acquires the property
[1]The hotel is sold to the G1 Group in February for an undisclosed amount.
- 2016
The hotel enters liquidation
[1]The Scotsman Hotel enters liquidation in June, initiating a subsequent ownership transition.
- 2006
Ownership changes to Sheikh Mohamed bin Issa Al Jaber
[1]The hotel, previously associated with JJW Hotels & Resorts, is purchased by Sheikh Mohamed bin Issa Al Jaber for £63 million.
- 2002
AA Hotel of the Year nomination
[1]The property is nominated for Hotel of the Year by the AA.
- 2001
The building is converted into The Scotsman Hotel
[1]After The Scotsman newspaper relocates to purpose-built offices in Holyrood, the former newspaper premises are renovated and opened as a hotel.
- 1905
The Scotsman newspaper building is completed
[1]The Edwardian building on North Bridge, designed by Dunn & Findlay, becomes the Edinburgh home of The Scotsman newspaper and includes printing, editorial, and commercial facilities.
Products and positioning
A heritage-led boutique hotel offering distinctive accommodation, dining, and event hospitality in a landmark former newspaper building at the intersection of Edinburgh's Old Town and New Town.
Accommodation · 2001
Guest rooms and suites
The hotel's core offering is accommodation within the converted former headquarters of The Scotsman newspaper. Rooms and suites are positioned as a heritage-oriented alternative to standardized chain lodging, with the building's Edwardian architecture and historic central Edinburgh setting forming a major part of the guest proposition.
Restaurant
North Bridge Brasserie
The North Bridge Brasserie is the hotel's named dining venue. It occupies space connected to the building's former reception and newspaper trading functions and extends the property's heritage narrative into food and beverage service.
Events
Hotel events and hospitality
The property provides the event-oriented hospitality expected of a full-service boutique hotel, including public dining and spaces associated with meetings, celebrations, and private functions. Specific packages and capacities are not established in the supplied sources.
Brand decisions
2017
Sale to G1 GroupM&ABackground
Following the hotel's liquidation in 2016, the Edinburgh property required a new owner.
Action taken
G1 Group purchased The Scotsman Hotel in February 2017 for an undisclosed amount.
Aftermath
The acquisition placed the hotel under G1 Group ownership and enabled it to continue operating as a heritage hotel in central Edinburgh.
2016
Liquidation of the hotelOtherBackground
The property faced a financial and ownership disruption after operating as part of earlier hotel ownership structures.
Action taken
The Scotsman Hotel entered liquidation in June 2016.
Aftermath
The liquidation preceded the property's sale to the G1 Group in February 2017. The supplied sources do not provide further details about the liquidation process.
2001
Conversion of newspaper headquarters into a hotelStrategyBackground
The Scotsman newspaper relocated from its long-standing North Bridge premises to purpose-built offices in Holyrood, leaving a landmark Edwardian building available for a new use.
Action taken
The building was renovated and reopened as The Scotsman Hotel, retaining a connection to the site's newspaper history while introducing accommodation and hospitality uses.
Aftermath
The conversion established the hotel's heritage-led identity and made the former newspaper building the central feature of its brand proposition.
Recent events
- 2020
The Scotsman receives Scottish Hotel Awards recognition[1]
Other
The property was recognized at the Scottish Hotel Awards with Boutique Hotel of the Year and a Hotel Design Gold Laurel.
- 2017
G1 Group acquires The Scotsman Hotel[1]
M&A
The Scotsman Hotel was sold to the G1 Group in February 2017. The purchase price was not disclosed in the supplied reference material.
- 2016
The Scotsman Hotel enters liquidation[1]
Bankruptcy
The hotel entered liquidation in June 2016, creating a major ownership and operating transition for the Edinburgh property.
Sources1 sources
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